NEW YORK (AFP) ââ¬â Major world powers launched a new round of talks on Wednesday to consider a third series of sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program although the United States expects negotiations to be tough.
Political directors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council as well as Germany met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss detailed elements of a third Security Council resolution on Iran, officials said.
The officials from the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain as well as Germany will meet again on Thursday.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also meet in New York on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Britain’s David Miliband, France’s Bernard Kouchner and Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The aim is "to chart a way ahead, a diplomatic path forward for the rest of the autumn as we seek to continue this good cooperation internationally," said US Under Secretary of State for political affairs Nicholas Burns.
"But I wouldn’t anticipate concluding negotiations on a sanctions resolution."
He said the talks would not only focus on calls to impose a third wave of economic sanctions against Iran, recalling that the United States proposed in May 2006 to join the European dialogue with Iran on condition it suspended its enrichment activities.
"But with the failure of the Iranian government over the last year and four months to accept that offer, we have no other alternative but to continue the sanctions," he said.
The political directors of the five powers plus Germany met in Washington last week but failed to reach an agreement on the issue, with Moscow firmly opposed to a third set of UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
And Burns acknowledged the talks were still ongoing and proving tough.
"We are not going to have a resolution this week. It is going to take some time. But I do believe we will get there," he said.