Ahmadinejad was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying that "pressure of some Western countries to force Iran to abandon its right (to nuclear technology) will not get a result."

   Iran will not abandon its right to peaceful nuclear energy under despite Western pressure, vowed the Iranian president.

   The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany made an offer to Iran in Vienna on Thursday, aimed at persuading Iran to meet the international demands to halt its uranium enrichment.

   The two-part package contains both incentives to encourage Iran to cooperate, and the warning of punishment by the UN Security Council if Tehran does not comply. But no details about the incentives have been unveiled. 

   Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday that Washington would join European countries in talks with Iran if Tehran suspends enrichment.

   In response to Rice's remarks, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki welcomed possible direct talks with Washington but rejected a U.S.demand that Tehran must suspend uranium enrichment as precondition.

   Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi later refused any precondition for talks with the United States over its controversial nuclear issue.

   "We believe that under current circumstances, negotiations without any precondition would be best solution to put an end to Tehran-Washington logjam," IRNA quoted Asefi as saying.

   Iran has repeatedly said that it will not give up its right under the NPT to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel for power plant. Enditem