No New Talks for Iran, Iraq on the Horizon

GENEVA — U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar was unable Wednesday to obtain agreement by the Iranian and Iraqi foreign ministers to another face-to-face meeting at the deadlocked peace talks on the Persian Gulf conflict.

Just before midnight on the seventh day of the negotiations, Perez de Cuellar instructed his spokesman, Francois Giuliani, to tell reporters that nothing would take place during the night and that “nothing is yet scheduled for Thursday either.”

Giuliani also said that Perez de Cuellar was “certainly” flying to Lisbon as planned today.

It is not clear when he might return to Geneva or what would happen to the talks, which began Aug. 25 with two direct meetings between the foreign ministers of Iran and Iraq, but there have no face-to-face sessions since the talks became deadlocked last weekend.

Earlier Wednesday, Perez de Cuellar called on the two longtime Persian Gulf enemies to accept a compromise formula to break an impasse in the opening stage of talks aimed at seeking a comprehensive settlement in the 8-year-old war, which is estimated to have claimed more than a million lives.

Perez de Cuellar told reporters Wednesday that “time is running out,” and he observed that he has “other commitments.”

Since talks began last Thursday, preceded by a cease-fire Aug. 20, Perez de Cuellar chaired only two short direct meetings between Iraqi Foreign Minister Tarik Aziz and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati.