DIPLOMACY

Kerry back in Switzerland next week for Ukraine and Iran nuclear talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry has announced talks in Switzerland to discuss the ongoing Ukraine fighting and an Iran nuclear deal. The meeting with Russia comes after Kerry accused Moscow of lying to his face.

Kerry will head to Geneva next week to address a meeting at the UN Human Rights Council, and while in the Swiss city will also hold talks on the Ukraine crisis with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

It will come shortly after Kerry said Russian officials were telling "lies...to my face" about Moscow's activities in eastern Ukraine. Russia has always denied accusations from the West that it gives military support to the pro-Moscow separatists fighting in Ukraine.

Kerry is to then travel on to Montreux - the host city of January 2014's gridlocked Syria peace talks - for nuclear discussions with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

A deadline - March 31 - is fast approaching for nailing down the framework of a nuclear deal between Iran and the international community. Kerry only returned to Washington from Geneva on Monday after talks on the issue. He said the US had "no inclination whatsoever" to extend the deadline.

A further four months, until the end of June, are envisioned for ironing out the details if a framework agreement can be reached.

After Montreux, the Secretary of State will meet new Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, and then head to London for a conference of Gulf nation foreign ministers.

jr/ (Reuters, AFP  dw de