Iran nuclear issue for Moscow talks before G8

Iran's delayed response to a package of proposals aimed at ending its uranium enrichment is expected to be the subject of intense discussion in Moscow. Foreign ministers from the Group of 8 industrialized nations will meet at the Foreign Ministry Mansion

As well as Iran, they are also due to touch on North Korea's nuclear program, affairs in Sudan and Congo, and the search for peace in the Middle East.

A response from the Iranians on the offer, designed to coax them away from uranium enrichment, had been hoped for before the meeting. But Iran says it will reply by August 22, a timeframe the United States says is too long. Before the meeting, Britain, France and Germany are expected to hold talks with Javier Solana, the EU's head of foreign policy, who presented the package to Iran.