Ahmadinejad signals readiness for nuke talks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that his country’s peaceful nuclear program complies with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and Tehran is prepared to hold talks and cooperate in this field.

According to Fars News Agency, speaking at a meeting with Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tehran on Sunday, April 8, Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear energy program does not pursue anything beyond the NPT, and noted that Iran welcomes any proposal for nuclear cooperation.

Ahmadinejad said Iran is still ready for negotiations over its nuclear energy program, and added, "The demands put forth by the negotiating groups have been one-sided, this comes while we believe the negotiations should be two-sided."

The Iranian President said Iran and Japan can work towards a world free of atomic weapons.

"Of course, achieving that goal is a tough task since those countries with atomic weapons are powerful and dominate decision-making centers (in the world)," he stated.

Japan's former premier, for his part, criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for “applying double-standard attitude towards certain countries including Iran.”

Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons while Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.