Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns will meet top officials from Japan, India and Canada whilst in London for talks between the major world powers on Iran's suspect programme, the official said, who requested anonymity.

Burns will be in London to attend a meeting of senior officials from Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council) and Germany to discuss what action can be taken against Iran.

The State Department official said no official communique was expected after the meeting.

But he added that Burns will also meet Shyam Saran, India's foreign secretary, and two top officials from Japan and Canada whose names were not given.

The United States, Britain, France and Germany suspect that Iran is carrying out a covert programme to build a nuclear bomb and are lobbying to have the UN Security Council pass a resolution that could lead to sanctions.

The United States wants to hear the views of countries that have important trading links with Iran, said the State Department official.

Burns and Saran are to meet to discuss nuclear cooperation between the United States and India but the official said Japan would also have a key role to play because of its trade with Iran.

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