Iran stands firm in EU talks on nuclear row

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Iran dashed Western hopes of a rapid breakthrough in the nuclear crisis, saying it has no plans to respond in talks in Brussels to an international offer to curb its atomic plans.

Iran's top atomic nuclear negotiator, speaking on arrival for dinner with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, stressed that the Islamic republic is "serious" about defusing the standoff.

But Ali Larijani, who had delayed his trip to Brussels by one day, made it clear that little could be expected straightaway. "Today as a respect to Mr. Solana I accepted to be here for talks," he said.

"We're serious about continuing negotiations and we're going to start next Tuesday our talks," he added, speaking through an interpeter.

Thursday evening's dinner comes ahead of more substantial talks in Paris next Tuesday, when representatives from the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany will discuss the row.

Asked if he was going to provide an immediate response to an international offer to defuse the crisis, the Iranian negotiator said: "We will talk about the offer on Tuesday."

Iran is facing mounting international pressure to show by next week that it is ready to accept the offer, with the threat of UN Security Council action hanging over it.

But Tehran, which denies it is trying to covertly build an atomic bomb behind the screen of a civilian nuclear programme, refuses categorically to suspend enrichment activities, a key condition of the offer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for Tehran to accelerate its efforts to respond to the international community.

"The Iranian leadership said it is ready for dialogue and will answer by August," Putin said while answering questions sent in by Internet from around the world. "In our view they could have done this earlier."

Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach downplayed the significance of the latest Iranian comments.

"Our intention remains the same: to begin to get as much information as possible on Iran's reaction ... We are going to start working with him ... with the aim of having a substantial response next week," she told AFP.

The United States has ratcheted up the pressure on Tehran before a meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight major industrial powers in Saint Petersburg starting on July 15.

"It simply makes sense for the world to have some kind of indication of whether Iran intends to pursue the negotiated track or not," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday.

But a senior Iranian official made it clear that no response can be expected next week either. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Tehran will give its formal response to the offer in August.

"We will not give a response," either Thursday evening or next week in Paris, the official told AFP. "We are just resolving ambiguities" of the package of incentives being offered to the Islamic republic, he added.

In their offer, the six affirm Iran's right to develop nuclear energy, support its building of light-water reactors and provide for uranium enrichment to take place in Russia.

It would improve Tehran's access to international markets and capital and back its efforts to join the World Trade Organisation, among other incentives.

In return, Iran would suspend all enrichment-related activities, which have sparked fears it may be trying to build a nuclear weapon, and accept wider inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

IAEA head Mohamed Elbaradei also urged Iran Thursday to respond quickly.

"I hope Iran understands that the international community is getting somewhat impatient," he said in Ankara. "The earlier they provide an answer, the better for everybody."

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