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 the EU's Javier Solana later confirmed that the response had been delivered Friday evening in a letter to the European Union's foreign policy chief and to the foreign ministers of the six countries that submitted the offer.

There was no word on the content of Iran's reply to the offer of talks on economic and other benefits if Tehran halts nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.


Saeed Jalili, told Solana that Tehran had prepared its response by concentrating on common ground between the two sides and with a "constructive and creative outlook."

The two agreed to hold further discussions later this month, Iranian state radio said.

The offer of trade and other incentives proposed by the United States, China, Russia, Germany, Britain and France was presented to Iran by Solana last month.

The six powers have told Iran that formal negotiations on the offer, which includes help to develop a civilian nuclear program, can start as soon as it suspends uranium enrichment.

Iran has said it is willing to enter talks about the package but has repeatedly rejected demands to stop such nuclear work, which can have both civilian and military uses.

Analysts and diplomats say they detect a softer tone from Iran towards the nuclear incentives offer, but that this may be a bid to buy time rather than a shift to accept world powers' key demand of a halt to uranium enrichment.

World powers fear that Iran could use enrichment to make a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists its atomic drive is peaceful and aimed only at producing nuclear power for a growing population.

No Iranian official has suggested that Tehran is ready to give ground on the key question of enrichment, which Iran must suspend in order to enter the talks offered by the world powers.

Agencies