Talking to IRNA, the chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Hossein Mousavian, said that the upcoming negotiations will be the first by European countries with Iran on such an important nuclear subject.

"By negotiating, the EU will in fact signify its readiness to cooperation with Iran on the matter," he added.

Negotiations on the subject of a light-water reactor for Iran will apparently take a long time, he said, adding that the period of negotiations will actually be a time when "we can evaluate the EU's sincerity in fulfilling its commitments."

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said here Sunday that a European delegation was to visit Iran after the New Year holidays to discuss Iran's plan to construct a "research" nuclear reactor.

"A European delegation will come to Iran after the December holidays to discuss details of this issue," he told reporters during his weekly news briefing.

The visit will come on the heels of an agreement by the two sides -- Iran and Europe's Big 3 of Germany, France and Britain -- last month to suspend uranium enrichment activities in return for a package of incentives, which includes an EU commitment to help Iran construct a light-water power reactor.