Salzburg, Austria, March 10, SPA -- The European Union's foreignministers were to take stock Friday of internationalefforts to get Iran to resolve concerns over its nuclearprogram. The International Atomic Energy Agency has referred Iranto the U.N. Security Council. U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan insisted this week that "negotiations mustcontinue" with Iran but as the EU foreign ministers openedtwo days of informal talks, a senior EU official cautionedsanctions may lay ahead. "At a later stage, sanctions of some kind can't beexcluded. Let's wait and see what the Security Councildoes," the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana wasquoted as saying by the Austrian daily Der Standard in aninterview published Friday. "We are only at the beginning. I don't exclude sanctionsbut it depends on the type of sanctions. We certainly don'twant to target the Iranian people," Solana was quoted assaying. There was always time for diplomacy, Solana was quoted assaying, noting that the Security Council had a tough taskahead. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy _ who wasalso expected to attend the Salzburg gathering _ urged Iranon Friday to return rapidly to "reason" as the standoffover its nuclear program moved to the U.N. SecurityCouncil. "The hand is extended. Negotiations are possible,"Douste-Blazy said on RTL radio in France. "Iran mustunderstand that it has no choice. It has the right tocivilian nuclear energy, it does not have the right tosomething else."--SPA 13 56 Local Time 10 56 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/337989