Updated

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva for talks with his Iranian counterpart on how to speed up nuclear negotiations. The talks come as a March target date approaches to conclude a deal.

Kerry arrived in Geneva late Tuesday and is to meet Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif. A new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany begins Thursday.

The negotiators are trying to turn an interim accord into a permanent deal that would address international concerns about Iran's nuclear program. In November, after failing to meet an earlier deadline, they set March as the target for a framework agreement and the end of June for a final pact.