Russia: World powers plan new Iran talks at UN

Russia said Monday ministers from the world's six big powers plan to meet with Iranian negotiators to discuss the Islamic state's nuclear crisis on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting next week. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency that the meeting "has been planned. But no final decision on it has been taken yet." He said the five permanent U.N. Security Council members -- Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain -- plus Germany intended to hold the talks during the so-called "Ministerial Week" that kicks off at U.N. headquarters in New York on September 24. Russia has mostly attempted to shield its trade partner from the oil embargo and other sanctions being pressed by the United States and Europe over Iran's alleged plans to develop a nuclear bomb. Iran argues that its program is peaceful and has threatened to retaliate for any air attacks from either Israel or the United States. Gatilov on Monday said Russia remained "convinced that unilateral sanctions undermine the chances of the resumption of the negotiating process with Tehran, and also significantly hurt the unity of the six" powers at the talks. But both Russia and China last week joined Western nations in censuring Iran at a meeting of the United Nations' IAEA atomic watchdog.