US Vice President Joe Biden pushed Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme in an interview published Friday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Biden was in Munich to attend the annual Munich Security Conference that starts later Friday. He is expected to also meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin in the afternoon, dpa reported.
In the interview, Biden offered Iran direct negotiations, repeating past offers and saying there was time and flexibility for direct diplomacy. But he warned that the diplomatic window would not be open indefinitely.
Echoing the consistent message of the White House, Biden vowed in the interview that the US would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which he said would be a direct threat to US security.
In his meeting with Merkel - his first official visit to Berlin since first taking office in 2009 - Biden is to address international issues; bilateral ties; efforts to seal a free trade deal between Europe and the US; and a possible visit by US President Barack Obama to Berlin.
Obama's last appearance in Berlin was in the summer of 2008, when he spoke to a huge outdoor audience during his election campaign that focussed on restoring good relations with the world community after the presidency of George W Bush.