Budapest: The European Union will turn down an offer from Iran to tour its nuclear facilities, the bloc's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday.

"Yes, what I'll be saying is the role of the inspections of nuclear sites is for the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and I do hope Iran will insure that the IAEA is able to go and continue its work," she told Reuters after talks with Hungary's Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi.

"My view is that though this is not an invitation that I'm taking a negative view of, it's not our job and looking at the sites and establishing what they are is for inspectors."