TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran on Sunday warned the U.N.nuclear watchdog to avoid political decision at its upcoming board of governors' meeting, reiterating rejection of returning to a moratorium on its sensitive nuclear activities.

    "We hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA)upcoming meeting will not be politicized, and harsh decisions will just run counteractive to their benefits," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi told a weekly news briefing.

    Asefi said Iran would not re-suspend activities related to uranium enrichment, stressing that mounting pressure would just make the country stand more firmly.

    The spokesman noted that the sensitive nuclear activities that Iran had resumed since January were just research-oriented and should not be viewed as actual uranium enrichment.

    "Operating some centrifuges is different from the enrichment,and we will continue the research work and never give in under pressures," Asefi said.

    The IAEA board of governors will convene on March 6 with the Iranian nuclear issue top on the agenda.

    The agency in early February adopted a resolution to report Iran's case to the U.N. Security Council but asked the council to withhold actions until the meeting in March, referring to economic sanctions backed by the United States.

    As to the Russian nuclear chief's ongoing visit, Asefi said the two sides had discussed a Russian proposal of joint uranium enrichment venture from different aspects.

    Sergei Kiriyenko, who arrived here Friday on a three-day visit,held talks with his Iranian counterpart Gholamreza Aqazadeh on Saturday, during which the two parties failed to make breakthroughs on the Russia proposal.

    Russia proposed last December that the two countries establish a joint venture in Russia to enrich uranium for Iran, holding that the offer would secure Iran' legal nuclear rights while guarantee the peaceful use of the technology.

    However, Iran defined the Russian suggestion as not negative but incomplete.

    Kiriyenko will hold a joint press conference with Aqazadeh late Sunday after a visit to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southern Iran, its first nuclear plant being built with Russia'shelp.

    Russia expected that Iran's acceptance of its compromise plan would cool down the rising tension over the Islamic Republic'snuclear program before the key IAEA meeting.

    The current tension came after Iran resumed nuclear fuel research work on Jan. 10 and escalated due to Tehran's disallowance of IAEA's snap inspections and resumption of small-scale enrichment work in reaction to the nuclear agency's February resolution.

    Uranium enrichment is a key step for constructing nuclear fuel cycle. Highly enriched uranium can be used for building nuclear weapons.

    Echoing the U.S. accusation that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, the European Union (EU) holds that Tehran's full mastery of nuclear fuel cycle technology will lead to military usage.

    Under the persuasion of the EU, Iran had suspended uranium enrichment for more than two years, which Tehran defined as a voluntary move subject to retraction.

    Iran insists saying that its nuclear program is completely peaceful, vowing not to give up its legal rights. Enditem