The European Union (EU) could decide on an oil embargo against Iran at a foreign ministers' meeting on Jan. 30, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Wednesday.

"It's at this occasion I hope that we can adopt this embargo on Iranian oil exports. We are working on this and things are on track," he said at a joint press conference with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Portas in Lisbon.

"We have to reassure some of our European partners who purchase Iranian oil. We have to provide them with alternative solutions. But these alternative solutions exist and I think we can attain the objective by the end of January," he said.

Countries including the United States, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions against Iran following an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran's nuclear program issued in November.

Some western countries have been considering sanctions against Iran's central bank and its crude exports.

Juppe, who was in Portugal to speak at a diplomatic forum, also discussed with Portas the need for a reinforced economic government in the EU, the political changes in some Arab countries and the situation in Syria.