(CNN) -- Brazil's president began talks Sunday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, state media reported, with international leaders saying they hoped the meeting could lead to a breakthrough in the showdown over Iran's nuclear program.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) made no mention of the nuclear issue in reporting that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sitting down with Ahmadinejad.
But France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia both said earlier they backed Lula's efforts to resolve the long-running, high-stakes stalemate.
"I am very much counting on the mission of the Brazilian president to be successful," Medvedev said Friday.
"This could be the last chance before the U.N. Security Council makes the already known decisions," Medvedev said, referring to the U.N. decision on imposing sanctions against Iran.
Sarkozy said earlier that he had spoken with Lula by phone to assure him of Paris's support for his efforts to resolve the impasse.
The United States and many other countries believe that Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Brazil's president is in Iran ahead of the Group of 15 developing nations meeting in Tehran. The group actually has 17 members -- Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
Lula also plans to meet Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on his trip, IRNA reported.
CNN
