Search Result in All

[07 July 2012] Geneva Meeting Clear or Cloudy Sky over Syria - English The latest meeting in Geneva on the current situation in Syria seems to lack executive mechanism as well as true will for its implementation. The special UN-envoy Kofi Annan says the meetings have not helped his plan, while the Syrian opposition outside the country has failed to form a unified political stance. Russia accuses the United States and its Western allies of trying to distort a previous deal reached by world powers on Syria in the Geneva meeting. On June 30, an agreement was made during the Geneva meeting on a Syrian-led transitional governing body that "could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups, and shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent."

It\'s the third day of intense discussions in Geneva between Iran and the five permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany over the Iranian nuclear energy program. Now hopes are rising that a final deal that many say could end a decade-long standoff over the Iranian nuclear energy program is just around the corner. Friday has been a day of multiple meetings between the negotiating parties. The Iranian delegation has been engaged with one-on-one meetings with other delegations to hammer out the details of the draft in the past few hours. Now we are getting reports that Iran\'s Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif has held a fresh discussion with EU foreig policy chief Catherine Ashton - the latest of a series of meetings throughout the day. The White House says U-S Secretary of State John Kerry is going to Geneva to join the talks. U-S officials say Kerry will try to narrow differences over a proposed deal that fell through a fortnight ago. The French and British Foreign Ministers are also heading to Switzerland. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has already arrived in Geneva and has met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif.

Representatives from Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are in Geneva for another round of technical talks over Iran\'s nuclear program. The talks come after four days of similar talks in Vienna last week. Iran walked out of the last round after the US expanded its sanctions against Tehran. The added measures came as, under a landmark deal in Geneva last month, the West had promised not to slap new sanctions. Tehran says it\'s ready to pick up the talks after the E-U foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton assured it that the P-five-plus-one countries, specially the U-S, would continue the talks in goodwill. Meanwhile, France\'s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who had previously blocked a deal under the influence of Israel, has already cast doubt on the chances of a final agreement in Geneva.

The UN-Arab League envoy for syria Lakhdar Brahimi says that Iran has not been invited to the Geneva Two conference, at the request of the US. Brahimi announced the list of countries officially invited to the Geneva Two conference-- aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the syrian crisis. Among the countries invited to the event are Morocco, Algeria, South Africa, India and Indonesia. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have reportedly held talks on the upcoming Geneva conference. Russia insists that Iran should be part of the talks, saying excluding Tehran from the conference would be counter-productive.

Iran, the European Union and the US hold talks on remaining issues related to implementing the Geneva deal between Tehran and the P5+1. The talks in Geneva come a few days after expert-level negotiations between representatives of Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. The Iranian deputy foreign minister says there are still three technical points that need to be further discussed. Based on the Geneva deal between Iran and the P5+1, Tehran will limit some aspects of its nuclear energy program in return for the removal of some sanctions.

[21 May 2015] UN chief urges all factions to attend Geneva meeting on May 28 - Engllish

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are preparing for the fourth day of talks on the Iranian nuclear energy program in Geneva, Switzerland. Hours before they wrapped up Friday\'s discussions, all the signs looked positive that a final deal could be sealed to end a decade-long standoff over the Iranian nuclear energy program. The chief diplomats of the US, France, Britain and Germany said they will be joining the Geneva talks on Saturday. The Chinese foreign minister is also expected to arrive later in the day. They\'re expected to narrow the differences and finalize a nuclear deal with Iran, which fell through in the last round of talks a fortnight ago. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is already in Geneva and has held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. Zarif also held multiple meetings with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, with the last one ending late on Friday night.

Iran has rejected a US proposal for it to play a role on the sidelines of the Geneva conference on Syria. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Tehran will only accept proposals that respect its dignity. US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week that Iran could help on the sidelines of the Geneva conference. His comments were a policy shift from the earlier stance of Washington, which is the only party opposed to Tehran\\\'s participation. Iran has expressed readiness to attend the event, but without preconditions.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on the Syria\\\'s divided foreign-backed opposition to join the upcoming peace conference in Geneva. Kerry says the purpose of the Geneva Two conference is to find a way to install a transitional government. The US secretary of state says the opposition can veto any names for an interim leadership, including President Bashar al-Assad\\\'s. Kerry also says that the talks in Geneva are the only way to end the bloody conflict in Syria. The deeply divided foreign-backed opposition will vote Friday on whether to attend the peace talks which are scheduled for next week.

Russian once again calls for Iran\\\'s participation in the upcoming Geneva two conference on Syria. In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for Tehran\\\'s participation. Putin says Iran is an important country that can play an irreplaceable role. Putin also says the recent Geneva deal between Iran and the P5+1 on Tehran\\\'s nuclear energy program was achieved largely because of the stance of Iranian authorities. The Iranian foreign minister for his part said Russia has made diplomatic progress in settling the Syrian problem. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said Iran\\\'s role is essential in ending the conflict in Syria.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon withdraws his invitation to Iran to join the upcoming Geneva two peace conferences on Syria. The UN was under intense pressure from the U-S to rescind the invite. Ban invited Iran to the conference on Monday saying Iran needs to be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis. Tehran also said it was ready to play a constructive role at the talks. But the US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the foreign backed opposition were strongly opposed to Iran\'s participation. The U-S State Department said the UN must take back its invitation unless Tehran publicly backs the 2012 agreement on a transition government in Syria. And the so-called Syrian National Coalition threatened to withdraw from the Geneva Two conference. However, Russia said it would be an unforgivable mistake to exclude Iran from the talks. Tehran repeated that it would take part without any preconditions.

[16 July 2014] Obama: Tehran has abided by its Geneva deal commitments - English

[06 Oct 2013] Bashar al-Assad says he is ready for the Geneva II conference - English

Prospects for a Syria peace conference in Geneva next month looks dim: Key opposition leaders, including the so called SNC have rejected efforts by Western and Arab powers to persuade them to attend. In this debate we\'ll discuss the fractured opposition and why even the coalition of countries are also fractured, in particular, Saudi Arabia, who is at loggerheads with the US policies regarding Syria. This is while Assad forces continue to advance against the insurgents in the country.

Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany hold a fresh round of nuclear talks in Geneva.

Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are back to the negotiating table in Geneva for a fresh round of nuclear talks.

Tough talks over Tehran\'s nuclear program in Geneva; the second day in a new round of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany has started. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is heading the Iranian delegation. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton represents the group of five permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany. Zarif and Ashton held a meeting on Thursday. The negotiating sides are working to finalize a draft agreement to resolve the standoff. The U-S Secretary of State John Kerry has said an interim deal will not include the issue of nuclear enrichment inside Iran. Meanwhile, Iran\'s Deputy Foreign Minister told reporters that the P-5 plus one group of countries must take a single common stance to win Iran\'s trust. Seyyed Abbas Araqchi added that any agreement which does not include the issue of enrichment is NOT acceptable.

Watch the Part 2 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPRvxa... Tough talks over Tehran\'s nuclear program in Geneva; the second day in a new round of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany has started. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is heading the Iranian delegation. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton represents the group of five permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany. Zarif and Ashton held a meeting on Thursday. The negotiating sides are working to finalize a draft agreement to resolve the standoff. The U-S Secretary of State John Kerry has said an interim deal will not include the issue of nuclear enrichment inside Iran. Meanwhile, Iran\'s Deputy Foreign Minister told reporters that the P-5 plus one group of countries must take a single common stance to win Iran\'s trust. Seyyed Abbas Araqchi added that any agreement which does not include the issue of enrichment is NOT acceptable.

Tough talks over Tehran\'s nuclear program in Geneva; the second day in a new round of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of UN Security Council plus Germany has started. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is heading the Iranian delegation. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton represents the group of five permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany. Zarif and Ashton held a meeting on Thursday. The negotiating sides are working to finalize a draft agreement to resolve the standoff. The U-S Secretary of State John Kerry has said an interim deal will not include the issue of nuclear enrichment inside Iran. Meanwhile, Iran\'s Deputy Foreign Minister told reporters that the P-5 plus one group of countries must take a single common stance to win Iran\'s trust. Seyyed Abbas Araqchi added that any agreement which does not include the issue of enrichment is NOT acceptable.

It\'s the third day of nuclear negotiations in Geneva. Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have wrapped up the first round of talks over Tehran\'s nuclear energy program. The negotiations are now adjourned for further internal consultations. Iran\'s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif heads the Iranian team and EU\'s Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton represents the P-five-plus-one group of countries. They\'re trying to hammer out a draft agreement to resolve the decade-old standoff over Tehran\'s nuclear program. Iran\'s right to uranium enrichment remains one of the major sticking points in the talks. Tehran has already made it clear that any agreement which does not include the issue of enrichment is not acceptable. The previous round of talks failed to reach an agreement after France, under the influence of Israel, blocked a proposed deal.

U-S, Russian, and U-N envoys are scheduled to hold a meeting in Geneva on Monday to agree on a date for an international c on Syria. A U-N spokesman said United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should announce a date. It would be the first gathering to bring the government and rebels together. U-N-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi and U-N, Russian, and U-S envoys will be attending Monday\'s meeting. Whether Iran and other key players, such as Saudi Arabia, will be invited will also be discussed on Monday. A U-N diplomat said the international conference on Syria may be held in January, but the date will be announced after the talks. The U-N says the 32-month Syria conflict has left over 100-thousand people dead.

Under the Geneva deal between Iran and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, the western countries have agreed to ease sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran\'s confidence-building move to continue its nuclear energy program at a lower level. But, there are different accounts of the exact timing of the partial sanctions removal. The U-S says Iran will see up to seven-billion-dollars worth of its frozen assets un-blocked. Out of this amount, Washington is expected to un-freeze some four-point-two billion dollars in oil revenue frozen in foreign banks. But, some remaining 40 billion dollars of Iran\'s oil export money will remain frozen. This is the amount Iran obtained through selling its oil under U-S and E-U sanctions imposed in early 20-12. Iran could also access another four-hundred-million dollars for educational purposes, such as the transfer of university tuition fees. France\'s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says this could happen in December. But British Foreign Secretary William Hague, as well as the spokesman for E-U\'s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, say they expect the sanctions easing to be completed in January.

The Syrian government says it will attend the Geneva talks while rejecting the exclusion of President Bashar Assad from a political transition.

The foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey have called for a ceasefire in Syria before the upcoming peace talks in Geneva. The statement came in a joint news conference between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu in Tehran. The two sides added that foreign-backed militants must leave Syria, and refugees should be allowed to return home. Davutoglu said foreign intervention in Syria is not constructive, and that Iran should take part in the upcoming Geneva-two peace conference.

A senior member of the Saudi royal family says Riyadh will continue arming insurgents in Syria until the so-called Geneva-Two conference. The former director general of Saudi Arabia\'s intelligence agency says he believes the peace conference will not yield sustainable results as long as the battle between the two sides remains disproportional. Turki Al Faisal also sharply criticized Washington\'s policy on Syria. Under a US-Russian-led initiative, the Syrian government and the insurgents in Syria are scheduled to attend peace talks in Geneva on January 22.

Its the second day of a new round of technical talks between Iran and the permanent members of the U-N Security Council plus Germany in the Swiss city of Geneva. Experts from the two sides began negotiations over Iran\\\\\\\'s nuclear program on Thursday. The talks follow four days of similar discussions in Vienna last week. Iran walked out of the last round after the U-S expanded its sanctions against Tehran. The added measures came as, under a landmark deal in Geneva last month, the West had promised not to slap new sanctions on Iran. Tehran says it\\\\\\\'s ready to pick up the talks after the E-U foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton assured it that the P-five-plus-one countries, especially the U-S, would continue the negotiations in goodwill.

A National Syrian forum has been held in Damascus. It was attended by pro-government and political opposition bodies. Points of view varied on various issues but when it came to Geneva 2 conference, there was consensus that only Syrians should decide their future. Internal opposition parties also said they were not even invited to the international gathering slated for January 22. The Syrian National Coordination Body for Democratic Change says it has not received an invitation to attend the Geneva 2 conference either.

Leaders of Syria\'s internal opposition are in Moscow ahead of the Geneva-2 peace talks. Representatives from the so-called People\'s Front for Change and Liberation say they want to discuss the upcoming conference with Russia\'s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.