In These New Times

Press TV

24th September, 2008

Foreign ministers from the six major powers have called off talks to discuss further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterparts from Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany were to hold the meeting in New York on Thursday to consider more pressure on Tehran.

“There is not going to be a P5-plus-one ministers meeting” on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters on Tuesday.

The decision came after Russia complained of US plans to “punish” it, AFP reported.

On Tuesday, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “we do not see any fire that requires us to toss everything aside and meet to discuss Iran’s nuclear program in the middle of a packed week at the United Nations General Assembly.”

“It would be very desirable for Washington to finally decide what it wants in its relations with Moscow. If it wants to punish Russia, this is one thing. If it agrees we have common interests… that is another,” the ministry said.

“We agree with them (the Russians) that the time is not right to have a meeting at the ministerial level,” McCormack said.

MGH/PA