US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has backed a Costa Rican bid to mediate an end to the political stalemate in Honduras. Ms Clinton, following talks with deposed President Manuel Zelaya, said he had agreed to the mediation offer by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and a negotiating process without preconditions on his future role.

The US secretary of state said the dialogue must lead to a resolution of the conflict which saw Mr Zelaya ousted from office by a military coup more than a week ago. While Ms Clinton said she hoped for a restoration of constitutional order, she declined to call for Mr Zelaya's reinstatement as president, which the White House had been calling for. Honduras' interim leader Roberto Micheletti says he is open to talks with Mr Zelaya brokered by President Arias.

Mr Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his work in ending the conflict in El Salvador in the 1980s.

Supporters of coup in Honduras by giggey (Flickr)