Iran expects to reach a mutual agreement in its new round of talks with world powers over its disputed uranium enrichment work.

"We believe negotiations in Geneva today will be positive and constructive," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki ahead of talks in Geneva between Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

The current talks focus on a package of incentives recently presented to Iran, which requires the country to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for political and economic benefits.

The top Iranian diplomat added that the meeting could be followed with several others to put 'the viewpoints of all sides' on the table and reach a mutual 'agreement'.

Mottaki did not elaborate on the kind of agreement he expects but expressed hope that the Geneva talks would pave the way for further negotiations.

Washington and its allies previously demanded Iran halt its enrichment before entering into nuclear talks. The US State Department, however, announced last week that Tehran may begin nuclear negotiations without initially suspending uranium enrichment.

Under Secretary of State William Burns, America's number-three diplomat, has joined Solana and officials from China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany in the talks, marking the first attendance of a US envoy in talks on Iran's nuclear work.

The West accuses Tehran of pursuing a military nuclear program. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity and is in line with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The most recent UN nuclear watchdog report concluded that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the 'alleged studies' of weaponization attributed to Iran by Western countries.

MK/MD/AA