WASHINGTONU.S. officials said theres a possibility Secretary of StateJohn Kerrywill meet Iranian PresidentHasan Rouhanithis week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.Senior aides to Mr. Kerry, including spokeswoman Jen Psaki, refused to comment on whether such a meeting was in the works at the Swiss mountain resort. But if it occurs, it would provide the U.S. and Iran an important opportunity to discuss key developments in the Middle East, and attempt to keep their diplomatic rapprochement on track, according to U.S. officials and Middle East experts.
Mr. Kerry starts his trip to Switzerland on Tuesday in Montreux, where hes attending a United Nations-backed conference on Syria. The U.N.on Sunday reversed course andinvited Iran to attend the event, after Secretary GeneralBan Ki-Moonsaid Tehran accepted the need to establish a transitional political authority in Damascus.
Mr. Kerry has publicly acknowledged that Iran has significant influence over the conflict in Syria due to its extensive military support for PresidentBashar al-Assadsregime. AndRussian officials have made it clearthat a resolution in Syria is impossible without Iranian buy-in. A Davos meeting offers the Obama administration the opportunity to discuss ending the Syria conflict directly with Irans president for the first time.
Monday marks the beginning of the six-month negotiating period during which Iran and the global powers made up of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany negotiate a final agreement that seeks to curb Irans nuclear program. Also starting Monday, Iran is committed to freezing the most advanced parts of its nuclear program, including the production of near weapons-grade fuel, in exchange for an easing of Western economic sanctions.
The agreement is facing strong opposition from hardliners in both Washington and Tehran. And Davos provides an opportunity for the American and Iranian administrations to show a unified front in pushing forward with the negotiation. Signs of improving relations between the U.S. and Iran also could aid Mr. Rouhanis primary reason for attending the Davos forum: attracting international investment to Iran.
Rouhani wants to show that hes changing the economic environment in Iran, said Vali Nasr, an Iran expert and dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. A show of solidarity with Kerry could help make this point.
By The Wall Street Journal
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