Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is in Norway, said in his visit to the Scandinavian country, he will hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Washington’s commitments under the July 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on Sunday night, Zarif pointed to his plans for the new round of his European tour, saying that he will participate Oslo Forum and hold meetings with the senior Norwegian officials on a range of issues, including ways to boost bilateral relations in various areas.

In his three-day visit to Norway, Zarif will deliver a speech at the Oslo Forum on Tuesday, he said, adding that on the sidelines of the international event, he will meet with Kerry and discuss US commitments under the nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Iranian top diplomat also said he also plans to visit Berlin for a few hours to meet with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and hold talks on various bilateral and regional issues.

While the JCPOA, a 159-page nuclear agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 came into force in January, some Iranian officials complain about the US failure to fully implement the accord.

Earlier in March, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Americans have yet to fulfill what they were supposed to do as per the nuclear deal.

Iran still has problems in its banking transactions or in restoring its frozen assets, because Western countries and those involved in such processes are afraid of Americans, the Leader said at the time, criticizing the US for its moves to prevent Iran from taking advantage of the sanctions removal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will travel to Norway next week to attend the 2016 edition of the Oslo Forum, an annual international conference on armed conflict mediators and peace process actors.

He will join an estimated 100 other prominent mediators and peace process players from around the world on June 14 and 15 to share experience of peacemaking, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The forum is organized jointly by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, a private diplomacy and conflict mediation organization.

It annually brings together senior conflict mediators, major players in peace processes, key decision-makers and eminent thinkers to reflect on current peace processes and to strengthen the practice of conflict mediation internationally.

Other participants at the gathering will include US Secretary of State John Kerry and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan K. Eliasson as well as the foreign ministers of Kenya, Lebanon, Mongolia and New Zealand will also attend.

The two-day event will feature panel discussions, debates and roundtable sessions on a variety of topics.

Nuclear Talks Possible
It is not still clear whether or not Zarif will hold meetings with Kerry and Mogherini on the sidelines of the conference to discuss the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the July 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).

While the JCPOA came into force in January, some Iranian officials have complained about the US failure to fully implement the accord.

In an interview with Tasnim News Agency in April, Mogherini said the EU has been holding talks with the US to remove the obstacles in the way of banks trying to get into Iran after implementation of the nuclear deal.
Back in March, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Americans have yet to fulfill what they were supposed to as per the nuclear deal.

Iran still has problems in its banking transactions and in restoring its frozen assets because western countries and those involved in such processes are afraid of the Americans, the Leader said at the time, criticizing Washington for its covert moves to prevent Iran from taking advantage of the sanctions relief as enshrined in the landmark nuclear agreement.

NEWLY appointed peace negotiator Jesus Dureza flew to Paris Saturday, June 10 enroute to Oslo, NOrway to meet with exiled communist leader Jose Ma. Sison.

Dureza confirmed this in a Facebook post a few hours ago.

The meeting will be the initial step in the planned resumption of talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“I am flying tonight to Paris enroute to Oslo, Norway for an informal meeting with the CPP/NPA/NDF headed by Mr. Jose Ma. Sison upon instructions from Pres-elect Rodrigo Duterte to work for the early resumption of the stalled peace negotiations,” the post read.

Dureza, a veteran in peace negotiations, is accompanied by Silvestre Bello III, another veteran in the peace process. Bello is the incoming labor secretary.

Former congressman Hernani Braganza also joined them.

“We look forward to a fruitful meeting under the auspices of the Norwegian government in the sidelines of the ‘Oslo Forum’,” he said.

Dureza, meanwhile, also corrected a report that came out “in some media outlets” that bannered a story that he is ‘open’ to negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

“True, I have even directly negotiated with the ASG just recently to seek the release of my friend John Ridsdel whom they nevertheless beheaded as the families could not raise the demanded ransom amount,” he said.

“But negotiations with them in the context of what we are doing with the Bangsamoro and the CPP/NPA/NDF is definitely not the way forward. They have to face the full force of the law for their terrorism and criminal acts,” Dureza said.

(VLA/Sunnex)

Philippines – Peace negotiators of the incoming Duterte administration are flying to Norway Friday night for informal talks with communist rebels “to work for the early resumption of the stalled peace negotiations.”

This was announced in a social media post by Jesus Dureza, who has been named peace adviser of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

With Dureza is Labor Secretary-designate Silvestre Bello III, who will chair the government peace negotiating panel of the Duterte administration in the talks with the communists, and former congressman Hernani Braganza.

They will be meeting with Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison and the negotiating team of the National Democratic Front, which represents the rebels at the talks.

“We look forward to a fruitful meeting under the auspices of the Norwegian government (on) the sidelines of the Oslo Forum,” an annual event hosted by the Norwegian government and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue that gathers conflict mediators, decision makers and peace process actors in a series of informal and discreet retreats.

At the same time, Dureza denied media reports indicating that he was “open to negotiations” with the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Forces.

In his post, Dureza acknowledged having “directly negotiated with the ASG just recently to seek the release of my friend John Ridsdel, whom they nevertheless beheaded as the family could not raise the demanded ransom amount.”

Ridsdel, a retired Canadian mining executive, was one of three foreigners and a Filipina abducted by the Abu Sayyaf from Samal Island. He was killed after the deadline set by the Abu Sayyaf for ransom lapsed.

Dureza stressed that negotiating with the Abu Sayyaf and BIFF “in the context of what we are doing with the Bangsamoro” and the communists “is definitely not the way forward.”

“They have to face the full force of the law for their terrorism and criminal acts,” he said.