Russia hopes that Tehran and the Iran Six will soon reach consensus on a resumption of negotiations concerning the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"We expect the time and place of the next contact between the Iran Six and Iran will be agreed shortly," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters.

Lukashevich welcomed Tehran's readiness to resume talks concerning its nuclear activities with mediators from Russia, the U.S., France, Britain, China and Germany.

"Russia stands for a sooner resumption of the talks aimed at searching of political and diplomatic solutions to issues concerning Iran's nuclear program," Lakashevich said.

Also on Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) still have time to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

"I would not draw any final conclusions saying that the dialogue has failed and deadlocked during the visit (by the IAEA delegation to Iran)," Gatilov told the Interfax news agency.

"I think we can still continue diplomatic efforts to resume the dialogue between the Iran Six and Iran," he added.

IAEA director Yukiya Amano said earlier Wednesday that no agreement was reached with Iran over its nuclear activities during a recent visit to Tehran by agency experts.