Ahmadinejad: Our nuclear rights are not negotiable

"Iran is ready to hold talks on resolving international problems, establishing peace and security in the world," says Iranian president.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Ahmadinejad speaks in NY (photo credit: Associated Press)
Ahmadinejad speaks in NY
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Iran is not prepared to discuss the "nuclear issue" with world powers, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the central Iranian city of Qazvin on Wednesday.
According to a Press TV report, Ahmadinejad told gathered supporters:
"Iran is ready to hold talks on equal conditions to help settle ongoing problems, ease international concerns and establish peace and security in the world."
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He reportedly continued: "We have repeatedly said that our (nuclear) rights are not negotiable ... We only hold talks to resolve international problems ... to help the establishment of peace."
On Tuesday, Iran responded to reports that it had agreed to meet with the "5+1" group later this month by saying that it absolutely would not be discussing a nuclear fuel swap.
AFP reported Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast as saying that "under no condition will we discuss the issue of fuel swap in our meeting with the 5+1 group."
Earlier on Tuesday, reports surfaced that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had declared his country's readiness to enter nuclear talks with the international community, saying that they were to take place in Turkey later in the month.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether the negotiations could be restarted as quickly as next Monday — under the Iranian proposal carried by the semiofficial Mehr news agency.
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, a letter from Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili to EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton says that he is prepared to meet in Turkey on November 23 or November 5.
Ashton's spokesperson confirmed the letter and, says the report, "she would be discussing it with the six world powers."
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the newly proposed dates for the talks on Wednesday afternoon, and added that while Turkey would agree to host the talks in Ankara, no location has been agreed.