German FM holds talks with Iran

Photo: German FM holds talks with Iran

The Foreign Ministry of Germany said that it held talks with Iran’s top negotiator but gave no details.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani met in Berlin, a ministry spokeswoman said on customary condition of anonymity.

She had no details on the contents of their discussions, which followed talks last week between Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

The U.N. Security Council is preparing to debate a third set of sanctions against Iran in response to its continuing refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for civilian energy or fissile material for a bomb. Iran insists that its program is for peaceful purposes.

The issue is expected to feature at the G-8 summit, which opens Wednesday in Heiligendamm, Germany.

The leaders of the Security Council's five permanent members and Germany, which have led efforts to address concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, will be at the meeting.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that it was "too late" to stop Iran's nuclear program and warned the U.S. and its allies not to push for new U.N. sanctions on Iran.