Details were added (the first version was published at 14:46)
Iran agrees to negotiate with the West over its nuclear program without preconditions, Iranian representative to the IAEA, Ali Askar Soltaniyeh, was quoted by the IRNA news agency as saying.
Tehran is ready to negotiate with the countries of the Six (the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, Russia, the United States, Great Britain, China, France and Germany) on equal terms and in a positive atmosphere.
"The negotiations must be conducted in conditions of mutual respect. The parties must have equal rights. Iran considers itself to be equal in strength to all countries participating in the negotiation process. But there is one difference between us. Iran does not have nuclear weapons; it is alien to our faith," he said.
Iran is ready to cooperate with these countries in solving global and regional issues, as well as in such areas as energy, combating drug trafficking and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Another round of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue was over in Geneva on Dec. 7, 2010. Deputy foreign ministers of Russia, the United States, Great Britain, China, France, Germany and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, attended the talks. Iran was represented by Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili.
The next talks between Iran and the countries of the Six will be held in Istanbul on Jan. 21.
The United States and other Western countries accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the cover of peaceful nuclear energy program. Tehran denies the charges, saying its nuclear program is aimed at meeting the country's electricity needs.