Iran Says No Reason To Negotiate On Nuclear Program

Today's comment by government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham comes as Iran's top nuclear negotiator is scheduled to meet in Turkey with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

On April 23, Larijani said his country wants serious talks on the nuclear issue and not "diplomatic games."

In an interview with the Iran's television station Al-Alam, however, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said the leadership in Tehran thinks the talks will be useful.

"We think talks between Ali Larijani, the respectable secretary of Iran's Supreme National Council, and Mr. Solana, are very useful and will help to clear up issues and reach a legal and correct solution and also remove problems and help resume useful cooperation in different areas," Ahmadinejad said.

The UN Security Council has imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium-enrichment activities.

Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western countries suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

(Reuters, AFP, dpa)

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