UN urges Iran to signal atomic offer "constructive"

ROME, July 12 (Reuters) UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged Iran to give a signal that it considers ''constructive'' a package of incentives aimed at defusing a nuclear standoff.

''Iran has had the proposals for some time,'' Annan told reporters in Rome. ''I urge him (President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) to try and give any signal, any indication, that Iran does consider the proposals constructive, take them seriously and (that they) can be used as a basis for negotiations, even if they are seeking further clarification.'' Annan spoke after the United States stepped up pressure on Iran, warning it faced UN Security Council action for failing to respond swiftly enough to a package of incentives aimed at defusing a nuclear standoff.

Foreign ministers of the world's top powers meet in Paris today to decide how to handle Iran after Tehran said it needed more time to consider the June 6 offer.

France, Britain, Germany, the United States, China and Russia agreed last month on measures aimed at convincing Iran to abandon large-scale uranium enrichment, which produces fuel for power plants or weapons.

They told Iran they wanted a clear response before this weekend's Group of Eight industrialised nations summit in Russia.

Annan told a news conference he did not know what would be the outcome of the Paris talks, but added: ''What is important is that on this issue the world speaks as one voice and we work together to find a negotiated settlement.'' Talks between chief Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels ended yesterday with both sides showing frustration and Tehran insisting it would not be rushed into an answer.

REUTERS SHB VC2032