EU's Solana disappointed by Iran meeting

LONDON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The European Union's foreign policy chief said that a meeting Friday with Iran's head nuclear envoy was unproductive.

While Javier Solana said he was disappointed, Saeed Jalili called the discussion "good," The New York Times reported. Solana said that another face-to-face meeting in 2007 would be held only "if circumstances permit."

"I have to admit that after five hours of meetings I expected more, and therefore I am disappointed," Solana said.

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, as well as Germany are scheduled to meet Sunday in Paris to discuss possible new sanctions against Iran. A spokeswoman for Solana said after the meeting with Jalili that Solana would be unable to report any new progress to the six-nation group.

The United States and European Union are pushing for harsher sanctions against the Iranians for its nuclear program but China and Russia, veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, have balked on the issue.