<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of Talking Points Memo at:</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/kerry_lavrov_potatoes">http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/kerry_lavrov_potatoes</a></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div><div class="story-teaser" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><h1 style="font-family: franklin-gothic-urw-condensed, 'Lucida Grande', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1em; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-rendering: optimizelegibility; font-size: 41px; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Kerry Comes To Syria Talks Bearing Unusual Gift: Potatoes</h1><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Secretary of State John Kerry showed up to a Monday meeting in Paris bearing an unconventional gift for his Russian counterpart.</span></p></div><div class="story-body" data-twttr-id="twttr-sandbox-0"><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Kerry gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov two Idaho potatoes, according to <a href="http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/13/22285794-john-kerrys-gift-to-russian-counterpart-two-impressive-idaho-potatoes?lite" style="text-decoration: none;">NBC News</a>, after Lavrov mentioned the state's most famous export in their last meeting. The Russian minister happily accepted, remarking that the potatoes were "impressive."</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The foreign policy leaders are in Paris along with Syrian opposition groups ahead of peace talks scheduled for next week, according to NBC News.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">--------------------</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><img src="cid:F639D9D6-2248-48BA-A520-84DF04ADDB57" alt="fd3dpj6z4x3lihidvaze.jpg" id="F639D9D6-2248-48BA-A520-84DF04ADDB57" width="652" height="365"></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">--------------------</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;">Video</p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><img src="cid:83B68A78-2151-4C27-B59B-7A24F9465FDB" alt="image.jpeg" id="83B68A78-2151-4C27-B59B-7A24F9465FDB" width="728" height="533"></p><p style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QC3L6YQpZ8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QC3L6YQpZ8</a></p></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------<br><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn to smile as you kill,</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>