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MOSCOW, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia is opposed to any new UN sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program for the time being, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

    The Foreign Ministry's statement came a day after a meeting of senior diplomats from the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany over possible new sanctions against Iran as Tehran refuses to comply with UN resolutions.

    "We spoke out against extra measures by the UN Security Council at the current stage," the ministry was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

    "The Russian side stressed the need to continue efforts to get Tehran engaged in a constructive dialogue aimed at starting a process of negotiations," the ministry said.

    Representatives from the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany met Friday in Washington to discuss Iran's nuclear issue. The meeting was expected to pave the way for talks among leaders of the six countries next week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session.

    The United States and its Western allies have accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.