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Annan says Iran wants talks but won't stop work

"On the nuclear issue, the president reaffirmed to me Iran's preparedness and determination to negotiate and find a solution to the crisis."

Kofi Annan, UN secretary-general

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday that Iran wanted to find a negotiated solution to its nuclear dispute with the West but would not freeze uranium enrichment ahead of any talks.

"On the nuclear issue, the president reaffirmed to me Iran's preparedness and determination to negotiate and find a solution to the crisis," Annan told a news conference in Tehran.

Annan added that Ahmadinejad had told him that Iran "does not accept suspension [of uranium enrichment] before negotiations," as demanded by the UN Security Council.

"He reaffirmed his complete support for the implementation of [Security Council] Resolution 1701" which halted the devastating month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Annan said.

He added that Ahmadinejad had agreed that Iran, which backs the Hezbollah, would "do everything to support the territorial integrity of Lebanon and the independence of Lebanon."

"Tehran will work together with us in a collective effort to reconstruct Lebanon," he said.

State radio quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that "Iran is ready to help in the reconstruction of Lebanon and seriously take part in any group activity to rebuild Lebanon."

He also said that Israel and its allies Britain and the US "should compensate Lebanon for the damages inflicted."

Annan has been touring the region seeking to shore up the ceasefire that halted a 34-day war in Lebanon. His Iran leg of the 10-day trip also came just days after Iran failed to meet a UN Security Council deadline to halt sensitive nuclear work.

The UN chief held talks on Saturday about the Lebanon truce and the nuclear standoff with senior Iranian officials, including chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, and met with Ahmadinejad yesterday.

Annan told reporters that he had had a "very good discussion" with Ahmadinejad on the nuclear issue which he would discuss with the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany which offered Iran an incentives package to suspend uranium enrichment.

Iran failed to heed an Aug. 31 deadline set by the UN Security Council to halt uranium enrichment, a process which can be used to make fuel for power stations or material for warheads. It now faces the threat of sanctions.

UN officials said Annan had also requested to meet Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the highest authority under Iran's system of clerical rule but was expected to leave yesterday without seeing him.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet Larijani this week ahead to try to clear up ambiguities in Tehran's reply to the major powers' offer.

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