Iran's president says nuclear programme is peaceful

Iran’s president today insisted that his country’s nuclear programme was peaceful and that it had every right to pursue new technology.

Iran’s nuclear program is “totally peaceful", Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said after meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta.

He said Iran would “absolutely not back out” from defending its right to pursue new technology.

Ahmadinejad is in Indonesia for a three-day state visit followed by a development conference in Bali.

The fiery Iranian leader raised hopes of a breakthrough with the United States just days ago by sending a letter to President George Bush, the first such letter to an American leader in 27 years. But the letter was quickly dismissed by Washington.

Ahmadinejad said he was not “disquieted” by the reaction.

“If they choose not to answer our question, it depends on them.”

Yudhoyono, speaking at a joint news conference after the two met for about 90 minutes, said he believed Iran was willing to resolve the “critical” nuclear issue through further negotiations, and offered Jakarta’s to help mediate.