Kerry to Iran Foreign Minister Zarif: Existing Sanctions Will Remain - East Idaho News
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Kerry to Iran Foreign Minister Zarif: Existing Sanctions Will Remain

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getty 020214 kerry?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1391360569943Scott J. Ferrell/CQ-Roll Call,Inc./Getty Images(MUNICH) — U.S. Secretary John Kerry met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday to discuss upcoming negotiations over a dispute of Iran’s nuclear program. During the talks, Kerry made clear that the United States will continue to enforce existing sanctions.

The meeting took place on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. A comprehensive agreement will begin in Vienna this month involving Iran and the P5+1, which is a group of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany.

Kerry emphasized the importance of both sides negotiating “in good faith” and Iran abiding by its commitments under the Joint Plan of Action, according to a senior State Department official. The U.S. and European Union suspended some sanctions under the initial six-month deal with Iran, but Kerry said others would remain in place.

He also pressed for Iranians to work with America in the country’s efforts to help U.S. citizens Robert Levinson, Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini return to their families.

During the Munich conference, Kerry also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, discussing the Syrian regime and chemical weapons. The Secretary of State talked about the need to continue pressing Syria to abide by its commitment to moving chemical weapons to a Latakia port.

“They agreed that more needed to be done to increase humanitarian access and the delay in providing access for convoys into Homs and other besieged areas was simply unacceptable,” a senior State Department official said.

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