Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told EU foreign policy supremo Javier Solana in a telephone call that Tehran is willing to discuss the issue, Iranian news agency ISNA reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes discussion with the group of six for a constructive cooperation," Jalili, who is also a top official at Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Solana, the ISNA report said.

Tehran will soon declare its official stance on the matter, ISNA quoted Jalili as saying.

In Brussels, a spokeswoman for Solana said he and Jalili "had a constructive conversation this morning following last week's meeting of the six and the EU. They agreed to remain in contact."

Jalili told the EU official that Iran would publish a statement in response to a message released last Wednesday by the six countries and the EU, the spokeswoman added.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran's top national security decision-making body, and in particular is responsible for the nuclear negotiations.

On April 8, the United States, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany said Solana has been tasked to invite Iran for talks on its nuclear programme which they suspect is aimed at making atomic weapons but which Tehran denies.

Global powers led by Washington are exploring possibilities for talks with Iran with the aim of stopping the Islamic republic's sensitive uranium enrichment programme.

Enriching uranium so that it can be used for nuclear power -- or building a weapon of mass destruction -- lies at the heart of the controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear programme.

The latest move from the six world powers came soon after US President Barack Obama, in his message to Iranian leaders on the Persian New Year Day, advocated a "new beginning" of ties between arch-foes Washington and Tehran.

Iranian leaders have also shown some flexibility in recent weeks towards Washington. On Thursday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said any talks between the two sides have to be based on "mutual respect."

"No free man will accept one-sided or conditional talks under intimidatory atmosphere," he said, adding that "the Iranian nation has always been ready for talks. We welcome change ... We think the time for big change has come."

On Monday, Alaeddin Brujerdi, prominent Iranian lawmaker and head of the parliament's commission on foreign policy and national security, said the West is "changing" its tone in its talks with Tehran.

"I think the West is now confronted with new realities and its tone is changing," Brujerdi said.

"It understands that Iran does not want enrichment for producing atomic weapons, but wants it only for civilian purpose."

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, says it is going ahead with its nuclear programme to generate electricity for its growing population.

Top Iranian officials said on Sunday that the world has to accept the Islamic republic as a nuclear power after it announced two breakthroughs last week.

Iran last Thursday announced the opening of its first nuclear fuel plant and said it has tested two new high-capacity centrifuges used to enrich uranium, although Washington has voiced scepticism over the claimed advances.

"Now the 5+1 has no reason to deny or refuse Iran's nuclear technology and the expected negotiations will be based according to the rights mentioned in the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Sunday.

Tehran maintains it is allowing the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to inspect its nuclear work and that as a signatory to the NPT, it has the right to enrich uranium as fuel for nuclear power plants.

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