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G8 expects `clear and substantive' answer from Iran

The G8 said yesterday it wanted a "clear and substantive" reply from Iran to an offer by major powers over its nuclear programs.

"We are disappointed in the absence of an official Iranian response to the positive proposal. We expect to hear a clear and substantive Iranian response to these proposals at the planned meeting [with EU foreign policy chief] Javier Solana ... on 5 July and to bring these discussions to a rapid conclusion," a G8 foreign ministers communique said.

"We expect in the swiftest possible time a concrete and official answer from Tehran to the offer," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

Lavrov, speaking after foreign ministers from the G8 countries held talks in Moscow, also said the G8 called on all parties in the Middle East to calm the situation and return to talks as Israel prepared for an offensive in Gaza aimed at freeing an abducted soldier.

Arriving at the talks, Solana said he would meet Iranian officials, probably next Wednesday, to discuss proposals aimed at allaying Western concerns about Tehran's nuclear program.

In Tehran, Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larjani said he would meet Solana in Spain.

Iran has still not said whether it would accept a package of incentives given to it on June 6 by the five permanent, veto-wielding UN Security Council members -- the US, Britain, France, China and Russia -- and Germany.

The US has accused Iran of having a secret program to build nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the charge, saying its program is solely for power generation.

Iran's nuclear plans were the focus of talks between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and foreign ministers from Russia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain who were in Moscow to prepare for a G8 summit next month.

The ministers issued a statement yesterday.

"The statement will have language that we hope and expect to get an answer soon," said a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity before the statement was issued.

It would also indicate G8 disappointment that Iran has not, so far, formally responded to the package of incentives designed to get it to curb its nuclear development, the diplomat said.

Tehran has said it would respond by August 22. The US and the EU have suggested they would like a response before the G8 summit begins on July 15.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu (姜瑜) also urged Iran yesterday to respond "as soon as possible" to the offer.

An EU official with knowledge of the G8 talks said that the initial session in a 19th century former merchant's mansion in Moscow focused on Iran and the next steps to take.

The "EU3" -- Britain, France and Germany -- who spearhead Europe's diplomacy with Iran held separate talks beforehand.
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