Iran reiterated on Tuesday that it was ready to reopen unconditional negotiations with Europeans over its controversial nuclear programme, which Washington says is aimed at producing a nuclear bomb.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also hinted that the Uranium gas Iran has produced is low quality and needs purification before it can be injected into centrifuges to enrich uranium. Iran says it needs to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel for its future nuclear power plants.
Talks between Britain, Germany and France, which negotiated on behalf of the 25-nation European Union, and Iran collapsed in early August after Iran resumed Uranium reprocessing activities at its Uranium Conversion Facility in Isfahan, in central Iran. Tehran had suspended Uranium conversion work under a November 2004 deal with the European troika.
"Iran has no problem with resuming negotiations, but the Islamic Republic of Iran doesn't accept pressure and conditional talks," Asefi told a press conference.
Europeans have said in the past that negotiations would not resume unless Iran stops uranium reprocessing in Isfahan.
Tehran says it will never again stop uranium conversion but is ready for dialogue.
Asefi said Europeans have been sending mixed signals about reopening nuclear talks.
"A number of European countries have expressed willingness in the past few days to join talks and help get out of the present situation... Instead of sending mixed signals, the EU should practically show it is interested in dialogue," he said.
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