TEHRAN, March 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday inspected two important nuclear facilities in central Iran to show the country's determination and ability to press ahead with efforts to acquire nuclear technology, according to the official IRNA news agency.

    Khatami, accompanied by senior officials including head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Gholam Reza Aqazadeh, inspected the uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and the uranium processing plant in Isfahan, said the report.

    The president was briefed during the inspection on nuclear development by deputy head of the IAEO Mohammad Saeedi.

    Saeedi was quoted as saying that the uranium enrichment project in Natanz is the "heart of the fuel cycle" of Iran and enjoys the highest level of fuel cycle technology.

    "This project has been implemented to provide nuclear fuel needed for both the nuclear reactors which will come on stream in the future and the Bushehr power plant," Saeedi said.

    But he stressed Iran had frozen all uranium enrichment in the Natanz facility since last November.

    "If Iran was not going through the voluntary enrichment suspension period, the Natanz project would have been inaugurated last year," said Saeedi, adding that all parts of the centrifuges used in the Natanz complex were manufactured by Iranian experts.

    Iran, accused by the United States of developing nuclear weapons secretly, is under mounting international pressure to give up uranium enrichment program.

    The Islamic Republic denied the US charge, saying its nuclear activities were for fully peaceful purposes and it would never abandon its legitimate rights.

    However, Iran has suspended activities related to uranium enrichment as confidence-building gesture to pave the way for negotiations with the European Union. Enditem