TEHRAN, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on
Wednesday that Iran will not make any concession in the country's nuclear
rights, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Ahmadinejad made the comments in a speech during a visit to the
southwestern province of Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad on Wednesday.
"Iran will not allow anybody to make any concession," Ahmadinejad was
quoted as saying, "I advise them (the West) to be more realistic regarding
Iran's position in this issue."
Ahmadinejad accused western countries of "telling lies" on Iran's position,
referring to the recent reports of the possibility of Iran's agreement on
suspension of uranium enrichment.
"They gave us a package of proposals and we gave them ours," he said. "We
have announced our readiness for talks with all countries except the Israeli
regime."
"But we have said that none can make any precondition for nuclear talks,"
Ahmadinejad added, "if there is such a precondition, it must be made by the
Islamic Republic (of Iran)."
Ahmadinejad also praised U.S. participation in the latest round of talks on
Iran's nuclear issue, describing it as a "positive step forward".
"I advise them (the United States) not to ruin the positive step they took
through irrelevant words and claims," he added.
During his stay in the province, Ahmadinejad will inspect a number of
development projects.
Iranian top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and European Union (EU) foreign
policy chief Javier Solana last Saturday hold talks on Iran's nuclear program in
Swiss city of Geneva, in the presence of U.S. Undersecretary of State William
Burns and senior diplomats from China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.
Iranian officials on Sunday voiced their satisfaction over the latest
high-level talks between major countries and Tehran over its controversial
nuclear programs.
But U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran of not being
serious in Saturday's talks.
The United States and its allies have accused Iran of trying to develop
nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Iran has denied
the U.S. charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes
only.
On June 14, Solana handed the offer of incentives to the Iranian
authorities on behalf of France, Britain, Russia, China, the United States and
plus Germany, in a bid to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment.
Iran has also presented its own package of proposals, which it said are
aimed to help resolve regional and international problems, including Iran's
nuclear issue.