Iran voiced confidence on Saturday over the upcoming new round of nuclear negotiations with the European Union (EU), the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Getting access to peaceful nuclear technology is a basic principle for Iran, and negotiations on the issue can certainly be fruitful," chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani was quoted as saying.

Larijani said it was significant for Iran to secure its nuclear rights through "a peaceful way", stressing that Iran would continue its efforts in this regard.

"We will wait for a while and will proceed patiently. However, we shall make decisions according to future conditions," Larijiani added.

Meanwhile, he noted that Iran would present a proposal to solve the country's nuclear issue but refused to reveal details.

Larijani also dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's remarks as "propaganda".

Sharon said on Thursday that "Israel can not accept a situation in which Iran would be in possession of nuclear weapons."

"Whenever the process of negotiation about the country's nuclear issue becomes constructive, such reactions are not unusual, " he added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, adopted a resolution in September urging Iran to re-suspend its uranium conversion activities or to face a referral of its nuclear case to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

However, the agency's board of governors decided on Nov. 24 to postpone the referral in order to allow Iran and the EU to seek a peaceful solution to the issue.

In response, the two sides agreed to resume nuclear negotiations later this month, which have been stranded since Tehran defiantly resumed the uranium conversion activities in early August.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, a charge dismissed by Tehran as politically motivated.

Source: Xinhua