Javier Solana, foreign policy chief of the European Union, has received a reply from Iran to an incentive package aimed at encouraging Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment, an EU source said Wednesday.

Solana's office received a letter from Iran, but yet to analyze it, according to an unnamed aide of Solana, who has kept in touch on the issue with Iran on behalf of France, China, Russia, Britain, the United States and Germany.

Solana held a phone conversation with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili Monday to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue as a follow-up to the meeting they had in Geneva on July 19.

A news release from his office did not give more details about their conversation, but said that "Solana will be in touch with the authorities" of the six nations, which have offered Iran the package for its suspension of uranium enrichment activities.

Their talks came two days after the expiration of a deadline set at the Geneva meeting for Iran to give "a clear answer" to the offer.

Solana, who handed the incentive package in June to the Iranian authorities, will hold a conference call Wednesday with representatives of the countries to analyze Iran's reply.

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2008)