Iran’s Zarif, US’s Kerry Meet in Geneva
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry held a bilateral meeting in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday for talks on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The bilateral meeting was part of efforts to narrow down the differences in the course of nuclear talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Zarif had already announced that his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry includes only subjects relating Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.
“On Wednesday, I will discuss with Kerry only the nuclear negotiations to see whether it is possible to accelerate and advance the talks,” Zarif said on Sunday.
The Wednesday’s high-profile meeting comes a day before negotiating teams from Iran and the US resume formal talks on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
Iranian and US diplomatic delegations are slated to hold bilateral meetings in the Swiss city from January 15 to 17.
Kerry has also announced that his meeting with Zarif is to "take stock" ahead of a new round of talks on Thursday.
On January 18, Iran and the group of six world powers (alternatively known as the P5+1 or E3+3) will resume talks at the deputy ministerial level.
Negotiations between Iran and the sextet aim to hammer out a final agreement to end more than a decade of impasse over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program.