( dpa ) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed confidence the international community would show a united front to Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, ahead of a meeting Tuesday of the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany.
The participation of the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers, Yang Jiechi and Sergei Lavrov, was "already a positive sign," Steinmeier told national public television ARD.
"I am confident that we will end our meeting this (Tuesday) evening with results and show Iran once more that our suspicions have not been allayed and that the unity of the international community, including Russia and China remains intact," he said.
Tehran had long hoped that the group of six - the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany - could be split, with Russia and China taking a more conciliatory line, Steinmeier said.
The German foreign minister declined to be drawn on whether the six would agree on the text of a third UN resolution on Iran's nuclear programme that would include more stringent sanctions.
The six do not deny Iran's right to pursue civilian nuclear power but remain suspicious of its uranium enrichment programme.
Steinmeier was to hold separate bilateral talks with Yang and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ahead of the meeting in Berlin Tuesday evening.