Lavrov to Fly to Geneva Nuclear Talks Friday, May Meet Brahimi

Russia's foreign minister arrived in Geneva on Friday to take part in talks between world powers and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.

Sergei Lavrov is so far the only foreign minister from the P5+1 group -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- to be taking part in the talks.

It remained unclear if his counterparts would also come, as they did two weeks ago in the last round of talks in the Swiss city.

Hopes were meanwhile rising that the negotiations were making progress, with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jarad Zarif saying there was "room for optimism."

"It is also possible he will meet with United Nations and Arab League Special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi," a Russian foreign ministry official was quoted by agencies as saying.

Russia and the United States are currently working with Brahimi to set a date for a long-delayed peace conference on Syria which is also slated to take place in Geneva.