MOSCOW, November 21 (Sputnik) — US Secretary of State John Kerry has canceled his trip to Paris and will stay in Vienna overnight, a source in the US delegation told journalists Friday.
"Kerry stays in Vienna, will not go to Paris," the source said.
The top US diplomat has been holding meetings all Friday and was due to leave for Paris late today, following trilateral talks with his French and British counterparts.
At the moment the US Secretary Kerry is holding a trilateral meeting with Baroness Ashton, chief EU negotiator and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif. The Iranian foreign policy chief also changed his plans earlier today, canceling his trip to Tehran where he was expected to meet with the country's senior officials.
The final round of Tehran’s talks with the P5+1 group, which comprises Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany, began in the Austrian capital of Vienna on Tuesday.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that the atmosphere at the talks was tense and that the participating delegations might need to consult with their capitals to assess the situation. However, he expressed hope that the deal is still possible to reach by the November 24 deadline.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been a matter of concern for many countries. The West has accused Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program — claims Tehran has denied. Iran is currently subject to a number of sanctions passed by the UN Security Council, as well as economic sanctions by the European Union, the United States, and a number of other countries.
