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US says talks on Iran were â€œconstructiveâ€

20 January 2010 01:40 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ziya Agazade â€“ APA. The United States said on Tuesday that the latest talks by six world powers on Iranâ€™s nuclear program were â€œconstructiveâ€, even though they failed to agree on new sanctions.

Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, told reporters that the powers were â€œmoving on both tracksâ€, referring to diplomacy and the threat of further sanctions, APA reports quoting â€œReutersâ€.

â€œWe believe we are making progress,â€ he added.

The six powers â€“ the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia â€“ are concerned by Tehranâ€™s rejection of a United Nations-brokered nuclear fuel deal, under which most of Iranâ€™s low-enriched uranium would be shipped abroad to be further enriched into fuel for a medical reactor in Tehran.

Iran has instead proposed a staged and simultaneous swap of low-enriched uranium with the nuclear reactor fuel.

Crowley said that Iranâ€™s response to the proposal was â€œinadequateâ€, reports Reuters.

World powers have been pushing Iran to accept the deal and are also considering new sanctions against Tehran after it dismissed a year-end deadline to accept the deal.

On Tuesday, China urged other powers to show more flexibility in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, playing down prospects of sanctions.