Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said yesterday that the Western incentive package to persuade his country to suspend uranium enrichment is a "step forward."

"We consider it a step forward to present this package of incentives," Mottaki said upon arrival in Madrid for talks with his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos.

"We are going to review and study the proposals seriously," he said.

He said Iran would consult with Germany, Britain and France after studying the incentives.

Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented a new package of incentives, agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, to get Iran to halt its controversial nuclear enrichment.

The new package contains economic and political incentives, including talks with the United States, Western help to build light-water reactors for Iran, a guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel and permission for Iran to buy aircraft and spare parts if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment.