Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Gholamreza Aqazadeh said Monday that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposal to allow foreign participation in uranium enrichment was an extraordinary guarantee that Iran would not use the technology to make nuclear weapons.

"President Ahmadinejad's proposal for contribution of other countries to the enrichment project is far beyond ordinary guarantees worldwide," Aqazadeh was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

Ahmadinejad put forward the proposal in a speech to the UN general assembly in September in order to make the country's nuclear activities more transparent, but received cold shoulder from the European Union (EU), the longtime broker on Iran's nuclear issue.

As Iran and the EU are to resume nuclear talks on Wednesday in Vienna, Aqazadeh urged the EU to accept Ahmadinejad's proposal.

"If Europeans realize the fact that cooperation with Iran is the best option under the present conditions, the talks will be successful for both parties," Aqazadeh said.

Aqazadeh also stressed that Tehran will enter into talks with Europe "with clear viewpoints, vigorously and seriously", adding that Iran is "attempting to win the trust of the international community".

Meanwhile, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said

Iran insisted on its right to uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.

"We hope these negotiations to recognize Iran's legitimate rights and bear fruitful results," he said.

Larijani revealed that his deputy Javad Veidi would head the Iranian delegation.

The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the EU broke off after Iran restarted uranium conversion activities, a precursor to enrichment, in early August in what the EU said breach of the agreement to suspend all enrichment-related activities.

The EU is expected to persuade Iran to accept a compromise proposal, which allows Iran to conduct uranium conversion on condition that the uranium enrichment be moved to Russia in a bid to prevent Iran from making atom bombs.

However, Tehran refused to give up right to enrich uranium on its own territory.

Enriched uranium can fuel nuclear power plant or be used to make atom bombs.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons. Tehran rejects the charge and insists its nuclear program is intended for fully peaceful purposes.

Source: Xinhua