Iraqi premier meets EU's Catherine Ashton

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki met here on Wednesday with the European Union high representative for foreign affairs, Catherine Ashton, who is currently visiting Baghdad to participate in the negotiations, to be hosted by Iraq, between Iran and a the 5+1 Group on the Iranian nuclear file. Maliki expressed during the meeting, his country's readiness to provide all possible facilities for the success of the talks on the Iranian nuclear file. In turn, Ashton expressed the hope that the meetings will contribute to the resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue once and for all. Ashton's spokesman Michael Mann announced submitting a proposal to Iran for easing international sanctions. IRAQIA TV channel quoted Mann as saying in this regard, "The proposal includes that Iran reduces uranium enrichment from 20 to 5 percent, in return for easing international sanctions imposed on it."