European Officials Urge Iran To Stay Engaged In Diplomacy As Israeli Attacks Continue
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, flanked by France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks to media after nuclear talks with Iran in Geneva, Switzerland, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
GENEVA, June 21 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Top European diplomats on Friday stressed the urgency of continued dialogue with Iran following talks in Geneva aimed at de-escalating regional tensions and reviving negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, met with his counterparts from the UK, France, and Germany (known as the E3), as well as Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief.
Indirect talks between Iran and the US had been taking place when Israel launched strikes against Iran's nuclear and military facilities on June 13, prompting retaliation. The tit-for-tat attacks have continued since then.
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Speaking after the meeting, Kallas said the talks made clear that "regional escalation benefits no one," underlining the need to maintain open channels with Tehran.
"We agreed that we will discuss nuclear but also broader issues that we have, and keep the discussions open" to make progress, she said.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave a similar message, urging Tehran to remain at the table.
"We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States," he said.
"This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don't see regional escalation of this conflict."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed that the initiative had been closely coordinated with key allies and could lay the groundwork for broader negotiations.
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