John Kerry returns to US after cycling accident
US Secretary of State John Kerry left Geneva for Boston in a C-17 military aircraft on Monday night after breaking his leg in a bicycle accident on Sunday.
US State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Monday afternoon that Kerry’s doctor, Massachusetts General Hospital orthopaedic surgeon Dennis Burke, would accompany Kerry on the transatlantic flight. Once stateside, Kerry is expected to receive further medical treatment.
Kerry spent the night under observation at Geneva University Hospital, where he was flown by medical helicopter following Sunday’s accident near Scionzier, France. Later reports said he had broken his femur.
The 71-year-old secretary of state and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif met in Geneva on Saturday, May 30, in an attempt to overcome obstacles in negotiations on curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Kerry – an avid cyclist who often brings his own bike on official trips abroad – was biking on Sunday morning when he apparently hit a curb. His spokesman said Kerry did not lose consciousness and was treated on site by paramedics and a doctor who were on the scene with Kerry’s motorcade at the time of the accident.
On his way home, Kerry thanked Swiss and French police and medical workers for their professionalism.
Je suis particulièrement reconnaissant à la police & des équipes médicales remarquable à #GenèveExternal link et #ScionzierExternal link – de vrais professionnels.
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) June 1, 2015External linkKerry’s planned trip to Madrid on Sunday was cancelled, as was a trip to Paris scheduled for Tuesday. He is expected to participate remotely in Tuesday’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and members of a US-supported coalition fighting the militant group Islamic State.
“To be very clear, the secretary is absolutely committed to moving forward with the negotiations, to proceeding with them on the exact same timetable as before his accident,” US Secretary of State spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Monday. Kerry has already spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif since the accident and intends to attend meetings later this month.
June 30 is the deadline for a final agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
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