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Tehran 'ready for global talks' Tehran 'ready for global talks'
(30 minutes later)
Iran is ready for "fair and logical" talks with world powers to solve global "challenges", President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told a news conference. Iran's president has ruled out any discussion of its "undeniable" right to nuclear energy, but proposed talks with global powers on its peaceful use.
He also proposed a public debate on the issues with President Barack Obama of the United States. Speaking at a news conference, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also proposed a public debate with President Barack Obama of the United States, Iran's main foe.
The comments come ahead of a meeting of representatives of the UN's nuclear watchdog which will tackle Iran's controversial nuclear programme. A US-set deadline is approaching for Iran to stop nuclear enrichment, which Washington says could be to make arms.
Iran says the project is peaceful, but critics accuse it of seeking weapons. Mr Ahmadinejad said deadlines were "incompatible" with the world's needs.
Mr Ahmadinejad - re-elected in a disputed election in July - also reiterated his government's right to pursue peaceful nuclear power. "We have proposed a dialogue within a fair and logical framework with all the countries... which can be involved in changing matters," Mr Ahmadinejad said.
The week-long International Atomic Energy Agency governors' meeting opens in Vienna later on Monday. The Obama administration has set a deadline of the G-20 meeting later in September for Iran to respond to its demands, which are backed by the other veto-wielding countries at the UN Security Council - China, France, Russia, the UK - and Germany.
Central to the discussions will be allegations, based on western intelligence reports, that Iran has secretly studied ways to make nuclear bombs. Iran says the reports are fabricated. The "P5-plus-one" position is that Iran must to take up an offer of talks on trade links if it suspends nuclear enrichment. If Tehran refuses it face harsher punitive measures.
In its own latest report, the IAEA has urged Iran to address the suspicions, rather than simply dismissing them. Monday sees the opening of a week-long meeting of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Engergy Agency, in Vienna.
Central to the IAEA discussions will be allegations, based on western intelligence reports, that Iran has secretly studied ways to make nuclear bombs. Iran says the reports are fabricated.
In its own latest report, the watchdog urged Iran to address the suspicions, rather than simply dismissing them.