Reuters , United Nations, May 4 , 2010 – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he was ’optimistic’ about talks on a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran between Russia and five other world powers.

’These talks are slowly moving forward,’ said Ryabkov, who is Russia’s lead negotiator on the Iranian nuclear issue. ’Definitely there is still some space to bridge over, but I wouldn’t exaggerate or over-exaggerate the differences.’

’I’m reasonably optimistic,’ he added.