TEHRAN, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - Iran is willing to cooperate with the new U.S. administration if it shows an "appropriate" approach toward Tehran, a foreign minister spokesman told reporters on Monday.

Hassan Qashqawi said that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly make appropriate and timely steps depending on the actions of the new U.S. administration," while commenting on the recent announcement by president-elect Barack Obama who called for a new approach.

Earlier Obama said that Iran would become "one of our most important issues," and that the U.S. would adopt a new policy toward Iran. The president-elect said that Washington needs to start cooperating with the Iranian government.

Qashqawi called for Obama not to repeat the "erroneous policies" of the Bush administration in regard to Iran.

"Mr. Obama's election campaign ran under the slogan 'Change!' and now we must see if those changes in approach and relations are relevant to Iran. The international community's opinion is waiting for proof of those changes," the spokesman stressed.

The U.S. and a number of other western nations suspect Iran of developing atomic weapons within its civilian nuclear energy program. The Iranian government has denied these accusations, saying that its nuclear program is exclusively for the energy needs of the country.

Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran were cut in 1979 when radical backers of Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini seized the American Embassy in Tehran, holding 52 employees captive for 444 days.