Iran on Sunday once again ruled outtalks over its suspension of uranium enrichment activities, but nevertheless voiced its readiness to hold negotiations with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
"Talks of nuclear freeze are outdated," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said at his weekly press conference when asked about suspension of Iran's enrichment activities.
Meanwhile, he expressed Tehran's readiness to negotiate on equal terms with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain –plus Germany.
Hosseini added that Iran will also continue to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of an action plan agreed by Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog in August.
A delegation from the IAEA will arrive in the Iranian capital in the coming days and the next round of Iran-IAEA talks will beheld in Tehran on Oct. 9, Hosseini said.
Issues related to P1 and P2 centrifuges, which are used for uranium enrichment, will be among topics to be discussed by the two sides, he added.
Compared with P1, P2 centrifuges are more advanced and could produce more uranium, which can be used as nuclear fuel or key material for atomic weapons at the same time.
Hosseini's remarks came just two days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated that his country would not give up its nuclear rights and would not negotiate with world powers over the rights.
"Iran only wants to have its rights in line with the international rules and regulations," Ahmadinejad told a rally at the Tehran University to mark the International Qods (Jerusalem) Day, which was initiated by the late Iranian leader Ruholla Khomeini to show solidarity with the Palestinians.
"Right now, as far as we are concerned, the nuclear case is closed," the Iranian president said. "The Iranian people are not willing to discuss their absolute nuclear rights."
The UN Security Council has adopted two resolutions — one in December 2006 and the other in March this year — to force Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities and to give up its nuclear program.
The United States and other Western nations have constantly accused Tehran of developing a nuclear weapon program under the guise of a civilian-use program, which was repeatedly denied by Iran.
Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and voiced hope for talks to defuse the nuclear standoff.
