NEW YORK: Iran and six world powers made little progress in overcoming significant disagreements in the most recent round of nuclear talks, including on uranium enrichment, Iranian and Western diplomats close to the negotiations said on Friday.

Iran’s President said Friday that progress so far in nuclear talks with six major powers “has not been significant,” and the pace must be speeded up if the Nov. 24 deadline for a final agreement is to be reached.

Hassan Rouhani said “there have been steps forward, but they haven’t been significant.”

He spoke at a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting of world leaders. His remarks also focused on fighting terrorism and relations with the US.

Talks between experts from Iran and the six major powers — the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — have been taking place on the sidelines of the annual meeting of world leaders. But France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said an expected meeting of foreign ministers was called off Friday because of a lack of “significant advances.”

The negotiations have been stalled for months over Iran’s opposition to sharply reducing the size and output of centrifuges that can enrich uranium both to levels needed for reactor fuel or the core of nuclear warheads. Iran says its enrichment program is only for peaceful purposes, but the United States fears it could be used to make a bomb. Iran says any deal must put an end to the Western sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.

Despite the lack of progress, Rouhani said Iran believes “the serious (political) will does exist” to reach an agreement.

“Every side must show courage, the will, the strength ... along with the appropriate needed action and the needed flexibility,” he said.