TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of Oslo Forum 2016. 

A possible discussion theme will be the banking challenge Iran has been dealing with after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, formally known as the JCPOA. 
Tehran was expecting to reap economic benefits from the removal of sanctions. But foreign banks have given the country the cold shoulder, citing fears over falling foul of the U.S. fines over transactions with Iranian banks.
Iran has accused the U.S. of getting in the way of trade with the country, saying Americans are paying lip service to ending the banking row.
“Banks evidently view the risk of violating U.S. sanctions as too great,” Arnold Wallraff, head of the German government’s Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, said in an interview.
Also, Zarif is expected to object to the U.S. State Department’s annual report on global terrorist activity which put Iran on the list of countries supporting terrorism. 
The report branded Iran as “the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in 2015,” and claimed that Iran has provided “a range of support, including financial, training, and equipment, to groups around the world.”
Finally, the two may exchange views on the latest developments in the region, including what is happening in Syria and Iraq. 
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will be traveling to Norway on late Sunday to attend the 2016 edition of the Oslo Forum. 
As an annual global event, the Oslo Forum convenes senior conflict mediators, high level decision makers and key peace process actors in a series of informal and discreet retreats to share their experiences, identify challenges and reflect on mediation practice.
Other participants at the gathering will include EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

AK/