Kerry to Vienna as Nuclear Talk Stall
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)– U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will hold a rare face to face meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Vienna to determine Iran’s commitment to reaching a nuclear agreement with the West.
In the Austrian capital— where delegations from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, Germany and Iran have set up camp for three weeks in an attempt to forge a comprehensive agreement to end the nuclear crisis— Kerry will meet with EU high representative Catherine Ashton, other foreign ministers participating in the negotiations, and Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif himself in a rare bilateral meeting.
The one-on-one exchange will be the second time Kerry and Zarif have met face to face since direct relations between the US and Iran resumed last September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The secretary will gauge the extent of Iran’s willingness to commit to credible and verifiable steps that would back up its public statements about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program,” State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Thursday night. “The secretary will see if progress can be made on the issues where significant gaps remain and assess Iran’s willingness to make a set of critical choices at the negotiating table.” — Source