Remarks of the HR/VP Federica Mogherini following her meeting with Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Vienna

I just had a bilateral meeting with Minister Zarif. I believe it is very important that tomorrow, here in Vienna, we will have all the relevant actors, both regionally and internationally, sitting around the same table trying to define a common space for the beginning of a political process to find a solution to the crisis in Syria.

Let's see if the work we have done in coordination with the US, with Russia, in these days, in these weeks, allows us to open this political space and create the possibility for a follow-up for the begining of a process that can lead us to a political transition in Syria. That is the purpose of the meetings. I will have other bilateral meetings tonight as we are preparing the meeting tomorrow.

Q. Are you anticipating a compromise from sides that are sitting at the table tomorrow?

I believe it is already a relevant commitment, for all the sides to be here tonight and tomorrow, to come together, to accept to sit together.

This is already a very relevant starting point that only one week ago it was difficult to anticipate. So I would  invite everybody to take this as a very relevant step that I think we need to protect and, as Secretary General Ban Ki-moon indicated, show some flexibility and allow this political space to grow and to bring results in a process that, if tomorrow things go rather well, can open up and then be followed by other meetings.

Already the fact that we are gathering in this format is really a very significant breakthrough.

Thank you.