Kerry in Qatar to Assess Iran Deal
KABUL: (Middle East Press) US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Qatar to hold talks with foreign ministries of the Persian Gulf Arab counterparts in order to calm their concerns over the Iran nuclear agreement.
Kerry landed in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday evening after a weekend visit to Egypt, where he sought to assure his counterpart Sameh Shoukry and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that the landmark deal would bring more security to the Middle East.
In Egypt, Kerry once again defended the conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.
“There can be absolutely no question that if the Vienna plan is fully implemented, it will make Egypt and all the countries of this region safer than they otherwise would be or were,” Kerry told a joint news conference with Shoukry of the landmark nuclear deal.
Iran and the P5+1 group — the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – reached a conclusion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the Austrian capital of Vienna on July 14.
According to the text of the JCPOA, Iran will be recognized by the United Nations as a nuclear power and will continue its uranium enrichment program.
On Monday, Kerry will meet his six counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to try to allay their fears about Iran after the nuclear deal.
The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
