Russian hopeful about Iran talks

Russia’s foreign minister said Saturday that he believed international talks with Iran over its atomic program were still possible, maintaining that Russia could help bridge differences with other negotiating partners, including the United States.

President Vladimir V. Putin met Saturday with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, ending two days of talks that signaled a renewed push by Moscow to persuade Tehran to freeze its uranium enrichment effort. Iran, however, has so far snubbed Moscow’s proposal to host its enrichment program.

Larijani remained defiant after the first round of meetings Friday, saying Tehran would push ahead with its nuclear program, and suggesting it could break off ties with the U.N. nuclear watchdog if the world inflicted punishments proposed by European nations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei V. Lavrov said his country would continue efforts to bring Iran back to negotiations with Germany and the five permanent members of the Security Council -- the U.S., Britain, China, France and Russia.

“We will push for our common goal -- the resumption of talks with six nations,” Lavrov said in a statement after Putin’s meeting with Larijani. “We think it’s possible, if there is goodwill, to find a mutually acceptable basis for the resumption of talks on the basis of the proposals of the six and Iran’s response to them.”