Ahmadinejad: Iran not to make concession in nuclear rights

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-23 21:44

TEHRAN - 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 US 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 US 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 US 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 US 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.