Special report: Iran nuclear crisis

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Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki, criticized the resolution passed by IAEA as illegal.(File Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

   MOSCOW, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's foreign minister on Thursday slammed as illegal U.S. demands Iran scrap its nuclear work but said negotiation is the only way to solve the dispute over the country's nuclear program.

    Manouchehr Mottaki was speaking after talks with his Belarussian counterpart, Sergei Martynov, in Minsk where he is on a two-day visit as the six major nations that have offered Iran an incentives package in exchange for a freeze on uranium enrichment met in Berlin to discuss ways to solve the nuclear standoff.

    The United States accuses Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front and is pushing for sanctions against Iran, but Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at generating power to meet surging domestic demand.

    "The language of threats does not affect us. America's demand that while some possess nuclear weapons others should not even have the right to peaceful nuclear technology, is illegal," Mottaki said.

    Mottaki confirmed Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani will meet the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana for talks within days. "We view negotiations as the only method of achieving an agreement on this issue," he said.

    The meeting between Solana and Larijani would be a final attempt to see if there was common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the six nations -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- after Tehran snubbed an Aug. 31 UN deadline to halt its enrichment work. Enditem