Iranian top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that Iran may respond to a six-nation package aimed to solve the standoff over Iran's nuclear issue around Aug. 6, state television reported.

Larijani made the comments just one day before his meeting with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to discuss the nuclear issue.

"The meeting (on Wednesday) is the beginning of talks and we will respond to their proposals in the middle of Mordad," Larijani was quoted as saying.

The middle of the Iranian month of Mordad is Aug. 6.

But meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said, "Iran needs to study the proposals carefully and we won't change the date (to make a response)", referring to Aug. 22, the date declared by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last month to formally respond to the package.

"Two months is not long and we think the content of our reply is much more important," the minister added.

Western powers have recently mounted pressures on Iran, asking the country to formally respond by mid July to the package, which demands a suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment activities as soon as possible.

During a Moscow meeting last Thursday, foreign ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized countries urged Iran to give "a clear and substantive response" to the package at the upcoming meeting between Larijani and Solana.

But Larijani said on Monday that he would not give a response to the package in his meeting with Solana, saying it was not " reasonable" for the West to demand a suspension of Iran's nuclear program.

A senior U.S. official said on Monday that Iran must respond to the offer by July 12 or it would face action by the United Nations Security Council.

"If Iran has not responded by July 12, then I think the pressure will be enormous on the Iranians from all the international community," said U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.

On June 6, Solana presented Iran with the package agreed on by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany concerning the Iranian nuclear issue.

The proposals include both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply.

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran.

Source: Xinhua