Neither company commented on the discussions, which lasted a week.
But the discussions, which one official described as "very preliminary," yielded no results.
And the discussions, which often last several reels at a stretch, range from the amusingly loopy to the contentious.
During the discussions, which he hosted, Mr. Cameron sought unsuccessfully to put pressure on Mr. Putin to abandon Mr. Assad.
The African Union is developing a common position on the discussions, which it is expected to agree and announce in January.
They insisted on anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions, which were described as being in the very early stages.
"It was very loose and fun and intimate," Ms. Bergen said of participating in the discussions, which the women have practiced while the site is in beta mode.
He added: "Pirelli has been supportive and very open in the discussions, which is the most important thing, and to make sure we learn from that.
Just how large could become a make-or-break issue, according to people close to the discussions, which were reported yesterday by The Wall Street Journal.
Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, will be chairman of the discussions, which gained new prominence after the blackout on Aug. 14.
Ayerst says: "There is no record of the discussions which must have preceded this new venture and, on the business side, much was left to chance.
