TEHRAN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a three-day visit to Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    Leading a delegation of high-ranking political and economic officials, Karzai would discuss major bilateral and regional developments with Iranian senior officials during his stay here,Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said, hailing the visit as a "positive step" towards cementing bilateral ties.

    Several agreements on proposed joint ventures as well as promotion of cooperation in judiciary, cultural, energy and environment fields are expected to be signed by the two sides, Asefi said.

    Meanwhile, the spokesman denied speculations that Karzai would mediate between Tehran and Washington over the ongoing nuclear standoff.

    "We also say that these reports are baseless and the issue (mediation) is not on the agenda of Mr Karzai's visit," he said. 

    Iran has been holding a hardline stance on its nuclear case, rejecting to suspend its nuclear activities.

    After a compromise proposal was reached on May 24 in London by diplomats of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, they are expected to have more talks on a decision to offer Iran a package of incentives in return for Iran's suspension of its nuclear activities.

    The compromise proposal would drop the automatic threat of military action but still pack the threat of sanctions if Iranremains defiant.

    Washington has been accusing Tehran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop an atomic bomb, a charge denied by Iran, which insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful use. Enditem