EU diplomatic chief Javier Solana says there has been insufficient progress in attempts to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear programme following high-level talks in Geneva.
The international community was still waiting for a response from Iran on a proposed package of incentives if Tehran gave up its nuclear programme after talks in Geneva, he said.
'It was a constructive meeting, but still we didn't get the answer to our questions,' said Mr Solana.
'We hope very much we get the answer and we hope it will be done in a couple of weeks.'
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili described the talks as 'constructive and progressing' in comments to reporters afterwards.
He added that 'on the manner of continuing the negotiations we have understood better our mutual positions'.
Iranian officials ruled out any freeze in uranium enrichment at the start of today's talks.
'Any kind of suspension or freeze is out of the question,' an Iranian official told Reuters news agency, rejecting the main condition set by the US and other major powers for formal negotiations to end the dispute.
The high-level US participation in the one-day meeting in Geneva, together with Iranian comments playing down the likelihood of an attack by the US and Israel, had raised hopes of progress and helped ease record oil prices.
But the optimism was tempered by Condoleezza Rice's
insistence that despite the presence of US envoy William Burns, real negotiations could not begin until Iran has frozen sensitive nuclear work, a step Tehran has repeatedly rejected.
