Iran's supreme leader Seyed Ali Khamenei reiterated Friday that his country is not intended to seek any military use of nuclear technology. Khamenei said this during a speech at Teheran University on Nov. 5, 2004. "We strongly believe that a solid and strong nation and government relying on a huge pious youth power is basically needless of nuclear weapons," Khamenei said. Tehran has been denying the US accusation of developing nuclear weapons, asserting that the accusation was politically motivated.  (Xinhua/AFP photo)

    TEHRAN, Nov. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran said on Sunday that the nuclear negotiations with the European Union (EU) in Paris were complicated but progressing, the official IRNA news agency reported. "The negotiations are complicated and difficult but constructive and progressing. Considerable progress toward reaching a preliminary agreement on a common approach has been made," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi was quoted as saying.

    "Efforts were made to reach a compromise that the two sides could agree upon and which would protect their interests," Asefi added.

    Iran and the EU on Friday kicked off the third round of nuclear talks in Paris, which were due to last for one day but prolonged to Saturday evening because of the great difficulty in reaching an agreement.

    Asefi also revealed that a declaration on the results of the talks and provisional agreements reached by the two sides would be handed over to officials of both sides.

    Meanwhile, Hossein Moussavian, a senior nuclear negotiator to the talks, also told the state TV that the two sides had reached a "preliminary agreement" and a finalized one would come out in the coming days.

    On Saturday, Hassan Rowhani, Iran's secretary of Supreme National Security Council and chief nuclear negotiator, said that the negotiations were complicated and difficult, for the two sides were firm in their key positions.

    The EU has offered to supply Iran with necessary nuclear technology and equipments, including a light-water reactor, in return for Tehran's unlimited suspension of uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency in September adopted a resolution, which urges Iran to suspend all of the activities related to uranium enrichment and fully cooperate with the inspectors to clear up all related issues.

    The resolution has been criticized and rejected by Iran, which termed it as "illegal".

    Tehran has been denying the US accusation of developing nuclear weapons, asserting that it is politically motivated and Iran's nuclear research is fully peaceful. Enditem