U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has held talks in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel, senior German officials, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The discussions focused on the Syria crisis and Iran’s nuclear program.
After meeting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Kerry said the international community’s proposals to Iran include “reciprocal measures that encourage Iran to make concrete steps” toward addressing concerns about its nuclear research.
The meeting with Lavrov in Berlin — Kerry’s first as secretary of state — comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow.
The Kremlin has blocked efforts in the United Nations to take further action against Syria and banned U.S. adoptions of Russian children amid criticism from Washington about Russia’s human rights record.