Six key powers discuss nuclear standoff in Iran

Foreign ministers from six key powers were to meet yesterday to coordinate their positions on Iran's nuclear program, with France saying it expects quick agreement on a new draft UN resolution to increase pressure on Tehran. But a US official said differences over the issue remain.

The meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin brings together the foreign ministers of the five permanent UN Security Council members -- the US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- plus Germany, as well as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

It comes in the wake of last month's US intelligence assessment that Tehran stopped active work on a nuclear weapons program in 2003. That appeared to stiffen resistance from veto-wielding Russia and China to a quick and harsh third round of sanctions over Iran's defiance of international demands that it suspend uranium enrichment.

However, Western nations have stressed the need to keep up the pressure; and a senior French diplomat said before the meeting that an agreement on a draft resolution was very close.

The diplomat, who briefed reporters in Paris on condition that he not be identified by name, said an agreement should be finalized by the ministers at yesterday's meeting.

He would not give details on the resolution, but said it would be "very balanced, very firm" and likely be presented to the Security Council for debate by the end of the month.

The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Monday on the French assessment.

However, others were more cautious about what the talks could produce. A senior US official said on Monday that the six nations had made some progress in negotiating a new resolution in a flurry of weekend conference calls but that "substantial" differences still existed.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the ongoing talks, told reporters it was not clear if agreement could be reached at yesterday's meeting.

The official said senior negotiators from all six nations would have another conference call ahead of the ministerial meeting in Berlin.

Iran insists it never had a nuclear weapons program and that its work is for peaceful purposes such as energy production.

The host of yesterday's meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has said it will focus on making sure that international unity over the need for Iran to heed Security Council demands "will continue to be expressed in the future."

"The problem is not solved," Steinmeier said last week. Urging Iran to "resurrect international confidence" in its nuclear intentions, Steinmeier said the world "cannot and will not allow that technology for nuclear weapons be developed in this region."

That was a reference primarily to uranium enrichment, which Iran says it wants to develop to be able to generate nuclear power, but which also can create the fissile core of nuclear warheads.