Summary Iranian FM pledged good faith in talks to dispel Western fears over Iran's nuclear programme.
MUNICH (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday pledged good faith in talks to dispel Western fears over Iran s nuclear programme, after a rare meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Iran will enter the next round of talks later this month "with political will and good faith to reach an agreement," Zarif said.
It would be "foolish of us (and) ... a disaster for everyone" if the process did not lead to definitive results, Zarif told a panel at the Munich Security Conference.
World powers hold another round of talks with Iran on February 18 after reaching an initial accord in November to curb uranium enrichment and open up nuclear facilities to allay concerns Tehran is seeking to acquire atomic weapons.
Kerry and Zarif "discussed the upcoming negotiations with the P5+1 and the EU on a comprehensive agreement that will begin in Vienna", a senior US State Department official said.
The P5+1 groups the permanent five members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and Germany in talks with Iran.
"Kerry reiterated the importance of both sides negotiating in good faith and Iran abiding by its commitments under the Joint Plan of Action (agreed in November)," said the official.
"He also made clear that the United States will continue to enforce existing sanctions," he added.
Zarif told the panel "it would be a major mistake for our friends to believe that we are here because sanctions have been effective."
Rather, they had had the opposite effect and caused "a lot of resentment", he said, describing a very large "trust deficit" in Iran needing to be overcome.
Zarif stressed that the election of moderate President Hassan Rouhani last year reflected Iranians desire for "a constructive engagement with the international community which will bring mutual respect".
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told the panel there had been many missed opportunities in the past and this one had to be taken now.
"I do not know if (the talks) will succeed or not but it would be truly criminal not to do everything to make (them) succeed," Bildt said.
