Diplomat says P5+1 divided over draft Iran accord
The P5+1 delayed a meeting this morning with Iran because the 'the western side is divided' according to one diplomat.
Geneva__ Iran and world powers were supposed to resume ministerial level talks here Saturday morning but the western powers in the P5+1 are divided and were meeting among themselves, a senior diplomat involved in the talks told al-Monitor in an interview Saturday.
"It is obvious, there are serious differences" among the P5+1, the senior diplomat, speaking not for attribution, said. "We were supposed to restart negotiations at 8:30am, but the western side is divided."
US Secretary of State John Kerry was supposed to resume meetings with Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Saturday morning after a five hour meeting Friday that diplomats described as productive. But instead, the State Department said Saturday that Kerry would first meet with Ashton and three European counterparts, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. Ashton was then scheduled to meet with Fabius and Zarif.
"In fact, the French are the big upset in the way of an agreement," the senior diplomat said, on condition his name or nationality not be named.
