The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Tehran

Iran on Friday handed world powers its "constructive and creative" response to their letter outlining proposals to end the five-year standoff over its contested nuclear programme.

"The Islamic republic has prepared and presented a response to the letter of the six countries with a constructive and creative view and a focus on common ground," state television quoted top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili as saying.

A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he had held "positive" talks with the Iranian side, but gave no immediate confirmation of any receipt of a formal response from Tehran.

Jalili's comments came in a telephone call to Solana, who has fronted talks with Tehran on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Last month Solana gave Iran a letter from the six foreign ministers and a package offering Tehran technology and negotiations if it suspends uranium enrichment, which the West fears could be used to make atomic weapons.

The semi-official Mehr news agency on Friday quoted an informed source as saying that the response to Solana was handed over by Iran's ambassador to Brussels.

Jalili did not elaborate on the contents of the Iranian response, nor did he say if it would be a simple "yes or no" answer to the package offered or something more vague.

The source quoted by Mehr said the response was specifically to the world powers' letter, implying there could be another response to the package attached to the letter.

Jalili also said both sides had agreed that talks would be held again by the end of the current Iranian month of Tir, which ends in two weeks, without elaborating.