December 12, 2014
Catherine Ashton will continue to play the coordinating role in nuclear negotiations despite stepping down as the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
Federica Mogherini, who took over from Ashton as EU foreign policy chief on November 1, has appointed Ashton as her special adviser for facilitating the nuclear talks with Iran, the EU announced last Friday.
Ashton had been asked by the EU to stay on in November to oversee the conclusion of the talks on November 24. But on November 24, the talks were extended another seven months.
That left Mogherini with the choice of either taking on the role herself, at a time when she is busy dealing with the Ukraine crisis and seeking ways to get the Middle East peace process back on track, or asking Ashton to continue dealing with Iran.
She opted for a compromise, with Ashton facilitating contacts and attending lower-level meetings while Mogherini herself will attend meetings when ministers from the six powers come together to negotiate with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif.
“To ensure the continuity of negotiations, which require full-time dedication, Catherine Ashton will facilitate the talks, and report regularly to [Mogherini],” an EU statement said.
An EU diplomatic team will continue to support Ashton. That team will be led by political director Helga Schmid, as it has been this last year.
Although Ashton faced criticism early in her five-year tenure as EU foreign policy chief, she won praise for the way she shepherded the Iranian nuclear negotiations and is said to have forged a close personal relationship with Zarif.
Some experts feared her departure could complicate the diplomacy if her successor had to learn the intricacies of the nuclear issues.