Russia said yesterday it expected Iran to give "within the coming weeks a response to" a six-nation proposal on Iran's nuclear issue.

"We expect a response to this proposal, including as regards the time for an answer, in accordance with usual diplomatic practices through the same channel," Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Krivtsov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

"We believe that the proposals the six nations drew up and passed to Iran are constructive and meet the interests of a political settlement of the problem and also, we hope, Iran's long-term interests," Krivtsov said.

"We said earlier that we expected a response to the six-nation proposal within the coming weeks. We still expect to receive satisfactory explanations from Iran on its approach to the offer of negotiations through the above-mentioned diplomatic channel," he said.

"We bear in mind that the proposals from the six nations, one of whose members is Russia, were delivered to Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani by EU High Commissioner Javier Solana, together with deputy foreign ministers from the European Troika," Krivtsov said.

Tehran is studying an international package of incentives made by Britain, Germany, France, the United States, China and Russia and has yet to formally respond to the offer.

The offer, details of which have not been made public, was presented to Iran by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday his country is ready to enter talks with European countries without any preconditions.