Kerry flew into London on Sunday from Kabul, at the end of a 10-day trip around Asia. He was due to have lunch with Ashton on Sunday behind closed doors to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme, a State Department official told reporters travelling with Kerry.
The lunch comes ahead of fresh talks between world powers and Iran, amid raised hopes of a less hardline approach from the Islamic republic’s new president. The two-day meeting in Geneva, starting Tuesday, will be the first such negotiations since Hassan Rouhani, a reputed moderate, took office in August. There are increased hopes of a diplomatic resolution to the decade-long standoff following Rouhani’s pledges to engage with the major powers in order to secure a lifting of sanctions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will negotiate with Ashton and US, UK, China, France, Russia and Germany’s P5+1.
The lunch comes ahead of fresh talks between world powers and Iran, amid raised hopes of a less hardline approach from the Islamic republic’s new president. The two-day meeting in Geneva, starting Tuesday, will be the first such negotiations since Hassan Rouhani, a reputed moderate, took office in August. There are increased hopes of a diplomatic resolution to the decade-long standoff following Rouhani’s pledges to engage with the major powers in order to secure a lifting of sanctions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will negotiate with Ashton and US, UK, China, France, Russia and Germany’s P5+1.