"I hope that today's talks will lead to a framework for negotiations," he said, according to the websites of Iranian state broadcasting and Arabic-language channel Al-Alam.

"We hope that in today's talks a modality and framework that satisfies both sides is compiled," Mottaki added, on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran.

He did not give further details on what steps this framework would involve.

Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, will meet the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana later on Saturday in Geneva to discuss a package of incentives offered by world powers to Tehran.

In a major policy shift by Washington, US Under-secretary of State William Burns will also attend the talks.

Mottaki predicted that the meeting between Solana and Jalili would be followed by similar sessions.

"Today's meeting is likely to result in other meetings so that the views are gathered in one place and then agreed upon in a form that satisfies both sides," he said.

"We regard as positive and constructive the arrangements in form which have been made for Geneva talks," he added.

Media reports have said world powers have offered to start pre-negotiations over a six-week period during which Tehran would add no more uranium-enriching centrifuges and in return no further sanctions would be imposed.

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