Speculations Run Rife on G5+1 FMs’ Visit to Geneva
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Speculations ran rampant among reporters in Geneva on Friday that all foreign ministers of the six major world powers might join the ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program in Switzerland after Russia’s foreign minister arrived in the city today.
As intensive talks between representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as P5+1 or E3+3) over Tehran’s nuclear program are underway for a third consecutive day in the Swiss city of Geneva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in the hotel Intercontinental in Geneva.
The Russian minister is expected to join his fellow diplomats in the nuclear negotiations, while the main purpose of his trip is believed to revolve around an upcoming peace conference on Syria.
According to Tasnim dispatches, some western sources have reported that the Chinese foreign minister is also planned to fly to Geneva on Saturday, November 23.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry is preparing to go to Switzerland to attend the intensive talks, which are aimed to end the 10-year standoff over Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
However, US official sources have not made any comment on Kerry’s possible visit so far.
In the meantime, a French diplomatic source has announced that no decision has been made so far as to whether France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius would also join the ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva or not.
Earlier in the day, EU foreign policy chief’s spokesman said Catherine Ashton has not invited foreign ministers of the Group 5+1 to take part in the ongoing negotiations.
Speaking to reporters at the venue of talks in Geneva, Michael Mann pointed to the reports about possible presence of foreign ministers of the six world powers in Geneva, and said, “Catherine Ashton has not invited these ministers yet.”
This is the second time in a month that the Swiss city is hosting representatives from Iran and the group of six major world powers. They had three days of intensive talks on November 7-9.
Speculation about the possible visit of G5+1 foreign ministers to Geneva has been fueled after the Intercontinental Hotel rooms were reserved for those top diplomats.
In the ongoing talks in Geneva, the team of Iranian negotiators is led by the country’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, while Catherine Ashton oversees diplomacy with Iran on behalf of the six world powers.
