U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton at a meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany during the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
It was the highest-level meeting between the U.S. and Iran for more than 30 years. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shook hands with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, at the U.N. headquarters on Thursday before joining six other foreign ministers from major powers for talks on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
All parties emerged from the hour-long deliberations cautiously optimistic, vowing to speak again in Geneva next month. Kerry said he was struck by a “very different tone” from Tehran, while Zarif said the talks were “very constructive” and “very substantive.” Catherine Ashton, E.U. foreign policy chief, said the group will “go forward with an ambitious timeframe.”
[Reuters]