Iran has two-week deadline for nuclear answer

TEHRAN: Iran facing a two-week deadline to give a final answer to world powers seeking a breakthrough in the nuclear crisis, after talks with the EU foreign policy chief ended in stalemate.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana hailed their latest talks in Geneva on yesterday as "constructive" but Solana lamented that Tehran had still not given a final response.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the talks as a "step forward" in the nuclear standoff, which has raised fears of regional conflict and sent oil prices spiralling.

Solana, who presented Iran with a major package aimed at ending the standoff on behalf of world powers last month, said he was waiting for a decision from Tehran on an initial deal to start pre-negotiations.

This would see world powers promising not to impose further UN Security Council resolutions against Tehran, in exchange for Iran not installing any more uranium-enriching centrifuges, he said.

"We have not got an answer to the most important issue... we are looking forward to an answer to these questions in a couple of weeks," said Solana.

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Kisliak, who attended the talks was quoted by the Ria-Novosti news agency as saying he too expected a response from Iran in two weeks.

In a major development, the talks were also attended by the third most senior diplomat from the United States, the first time Washington has had direct contact over the nuclear standoff with Tehran.