Ahmadinejad: Iran will continue nuclear work

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said Iran will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights but is ready to sit and talk with world powers over “global challenges”.

President Ahmadinejad also said Iran will present its package of proposals to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany but rejected any deadline for such talks.

The Iranian president didn’t specify what will be up for discussion - or whether it would even involve its disputed nuclear programme – but vaguely said Iran has prepared a package of proposals that would “identify challenges facing humanity ... and resolve global concerns”.

“From our point of view, Iran’s nuclear issue is over. We continue our work within the framework of global regulations and in close interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

“We will never negotiate over obvious rights of the Iranian nation.”

US President Barack Obama and European allies have given Iran until the end of September to take up an offer of nuclear talks with six world powers and enjoy trade incentives should it suspend uranium enrichment activities. If not, Iran could face harsher punitive sanctions.

Iran has repeatedly vowed it will never suspend enrichment work, saying it has every right under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.

“It is very clear that this (deadline) is incompatible with today’s needs and directions of the Iranian nation,” President Ahmadinejad told a press conference today. “Resolving global issues require constructive interaction on the basis of justice and respect.”

President Ahmadinejad said Iran will continue to cooperate with the IAEA over regulations on safeguards but it will resist the agency should it be influenced by political pressures.

“We cooperate with IAEA within the framework of regulations but we will resist if the agency is influenced by political pressures,” he said.

The agency meets today for talks that will likely centre on the UN watchdog’s deadlocked nuclear probes of Iran and Syria.

The basis for the closed session of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors, scheduled to last several days, are two recent agency assessments. One accuses Iran of continuing to enrich uranium and refusing to clear up lingering questions about possible military dimensions to its nuclear program.

The US and some of its allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran has denied the charges, saying its nuclear programme is aimed at generating electricity, not bombs.

Iran says allegations of nuclear weapons studies by Tehran is based on forged documents but the US and its European allies want to draw Iran back into negotiations over such concerns.

“The proposals we have prepared seeks to identify challenges facing humanity and basic directions for a durable solution to those challenges ... we are ready, within a logical and just framework, to sit and talk with all those ... who can make contribution to reform global affairs,” President Ahmadinejad told reporters.

Iran has said the incentives package has some “common ground” with Tehran’s own proposals for a resolution to the stand-off.

Germany and France – both important trade partners with Iran – have recently become far more forceful in their threats of possible sanctions.

President Ahmadinejad also renewed his offer for a public debate with President Obama.

“Once again, I announce that I’m ready for debate and dialogue in front of global media on global issues,” he said.