John Kerry and Jawad Zarif at Palais Oriental on the shores of Lake Geneva

The first recorded name of the lake is Lacus Lemannus, dating from Roman times; Lemannus comes from Ancient Greek Liménos Límn�" (Λιμένος Λίμνη) meaning "port's lake"; it became Lacus Lausonius, although this name was also used for a town or district on the lake, Lacus Losanetes, and then the Lac de Lausanne in the Middle Ages.