Iran will continue its disputed nuclear work and will never negotiate on its “obvious” rights, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday, in comments that are likely to disappoint Western powers.
U.S. President Barack Obama has given the Islamic Republic until later in September to take up a six powers” offer of talks on trade benefits if it shelves nuclear enrichment, or face harsher sanctions.
“From our view point our nuclear issue is finished,” Ahmadinejad told a news conference.
“We will continue our work in the framework of global regulations and in close cooperation with the (U.N.) International Atomic Energy Agency. We will never negotiate on the Iranian nation”s obvious rights,” he added.
He said Iran, which plans to present its own “package” of proposals to world powers, was ready to negotiate and cooperate on making “peaceful use of clean nuclear energy” available for all countries and in preventing the spread of nuclear arms.
Last Wednesday world powers pressed Iran to meet them for talks on the nuclear program before a United Nations General Assembly meeting later this month.
