By Daisy Ayliffe - 22nd September 2006
Iran has said nuclear negotiations with Europe are making progress.
Speaking at the UN in New York on Thursday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said talks “under fair conditions” could include discussion of suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme.
“We believe those negotiations are going ahead in a positive way,” he told reporters.
He also hailed the “brilliant” discussions he had with Italian premier Romano Prodi.
The Iranian president met Prodi for bilateral discussions in the margins of the UN general assembly on Thursday.
“We held brilliant discussions,” Ahmadinejad told reporters.
“We want to have good relations with all countries that show mutual respect and friendship – we are interested in forming strong relations with Italy.”
In a speech that day he denied that Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.
“The bottom line is we don’t need the bomb,” he declared.
“Some people think you can deal with problems through the bomb, they are wrong.”
The US had intended to use this week at the UN General Assembly to press for a sanctions resolution against Iran for failing to suspend enrichment by the August 31 deadline set by the Security Council.
But under pressure from Europe and China, US president Bush has agreed to give the process more time.
The US says it will join the talks once Iran has verifiably suspended its enrichment.
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