The White House said on Wednesday that it is skeptical about Iran's seriousness toward a package of economic incentives offered last month by the United States and other negotiating partners.
"If they were serious about wanting to take us up on that offer, then that would be welcome. But I think we have every reason to be skeptical since we get mixed messages from them quite often," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
"The best way for us to respond to it is to say that we'll see," she said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told U.S. journalists in New York Tuesday that Iran is "seriously and carefully examining" a package of economic incentives offered by the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.
"We see the potential for a new round of talks....The two sides are trying to see if they can arrive at a new modality," Mottaki said, adding that Iran would officially respond to the international offer "within weeks."
U.S. officials reacted cautiously to Mottaki's comments, stressing that Tehran has offered no sign it is prepared to suspend uranium-enrichment activities, the principle precondition to talks held by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France --plus Germany.
The United States and its western allies accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its stated goal of developing civilian nuclear power. Iran denies the U.S. allegations.
Source:Xinhua
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