Iran and six world powers will hold talks on Tehran's disputed nuclear program in Geneva on Jan. 18, the European Union said on Wednesday. The six powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - and Iran "will continue negotiations in Geneva on 18 January with a view to making further progress towards a long-term comprehensive solution on the nuclear issue," an EU statement said. "The meeting will be at political directors' level, chaired by EU Political Director Helga Schmid," it said. Meanwhile. Iran's top authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the Islamic Republic should immunize itself against international sanctions to strengthen its position in nuclear talks. Western powers have imposed penalties over Iran's disputed nuclear program which have slashed its oil exports, causing inflation to soar and the value of its currency to plummet. "What would you do if they set a condition for lifting the sanctions that would compromise your (national) pride?," supreme leader Khamenei told a gathering, in comments published on official IRNA news agency. "No official would accept it. Efforts must be made to immunize Iran against the sanctions," he said, without going into details on how that should be done. REUTERS