 |
| Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of death of Iran's
late Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran June 3,
2006.(Xinhua/Reuters) |
TEHRAN,
June 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Tehran
will decide, on the basis of its national interests, on the proposals to be
delivered by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana over Iran's nuclear issue,
the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.
"Iran is ready to hold fair and unconditional talks
with the West on Iran's nuclear issue. Negotiations should not have
preconditions," said the president.
Ahmadinejad underlined, "We will wait after they have
put forth their proposals and after we have heard them, then, we will decide
based on our national interests."
The president made the remarks on Saturday at a
ceremony commemorating Iran's late leader and founder of the Islamic republic
Ayatohlah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Meanwhile, the president stressed that Iran would
reject any compromise on its absolute rights to uranium enrichment for peaceful
purposes.
"We also regard the peaceful use of nuclear energy as
our legitimate right and will not negotiate on our rights with anybody," the
president added.
Foreign ministers of the five permanent members of
the UN Security Council--the U.S., France, Britain, Russia and China--plus
Germany agreed Thursday upon a European offer of incentives if Iran halts
uranium enrichment and punishments if Tehran does not comply to solve the
current standoff over Iran's nuclear program.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki said that Solana would arrive in Tehran within the next two days to
present Europe's new proposal to resolve the nuclear standoff. "Iran will review
the new proposal at an appropriate time and announce its stance," Mottaki added.
He expressed hope that the offer would pave the way
for a comprehensive discussion of the country's nuclear case.
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