http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83095771

Tehran, Nov 11, IRNA - Former German Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel on Sunday met Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

I guess Kerry got told to knock it off, so he sent a friend.

https://www.americanprogressaction.org/events/2009/04/29/16772/a-transatlantic-dialogue-on-the-green-new-deal-with-john-kerry-and-sigmar-gabriel/

Senior Fellow Andrew Light, the principle organizer of the program remarked, “It was very encouraging to see Senator Kerry and Minister Gabriel pulling on the same rope on this cluster of important issues.

http://en.mercopress.com/2016/08/29/germany-admits-us-europe-trade-talks-have-failed-growing-fears-of-populism-reactions

“It's our job to make sure that we adequately inform people about the facts of how TTIP will actually work for the people of Europe,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at a press conference in Brussels last month.