Iran to hold nuclear talks in December

Iran to hold nuclear talks in December

2010-12-01 00:13:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEW) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday announced that the country has agreed to participate in another round of nuclear talks with the P5+1.

"Now they say they want talks. We have said OK," Ahmadinejad during a televised speech. "We are always ready for talks as long as the talks are handled with respect," he added, as the talks are likely to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, during the first week of December.

However, Ahmadinejad was firm in saying that Iran would not be giving up any basic rights during negotiations.

"The Iranian nation has not and will not allow anyone to retreat even for an iota from its principled rights in talks and negotiations," Ahmadinejad said in front of a large crowd in the Northern Mazandaran province.

Iran has not met with the P5+1 - which is comprised of the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, the U.S., the five permanent UN Security Council members, plus Germany - in over a year.

Discussions regarding Iran's uranium enrichment program has brought heavy sanctions against the Middle Eastern country, but it has claimed that its program is aimed to produce electrical power and not military purposes as the U.S., among other nations, have claimed.

The announcement comes only one day after an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed and another was injured when two car bombs exploded in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The attacks took place on Monday between 7 and 8 a.m. local time when the cars of Dr. Majid Shahriari and professor Fereydoun Abbasi exploded at separate locations in Tehran, killing Shahriari.

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