Iran: Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, yesterday praised a six-country package of incentives aimed at resolving the international dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.
Raising hopes of a breakthrough, he said the proposal, which aims to curtail Iran's uranium enrichment activities, was a "step forward".
But despite his conciliatory tone, Mr Ahmadinejad said his government had made no decision about whether to accept the package, which is backed by the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. "Generally speaking, we're regarding this offer as a step forward and I have instructed my colleagues to carefully consider it," he told reporters in Shanghai.
The EU has offered to provide trade and economic benefits to Iran in return for a halt to its nuclear programme. Also on the table is a transfer of peaceful nuclear technology, aircraft parts, and support for Iran to join the World Trade Organisation.
The package is supported by the US, which believes that Iran is enriching uranium to produce a nuclear weapon. Last month Washington offered Iran the first face-to-face talks between the two sides in more than 25 years, but it has also threatened to seek UN sanctions if Tehran continues its enrichment activities.
Yesterday Gregory Schulte, the top US delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said if Iran rejected the incentives, it could face "the weight of the security council".
Mr Ahmadinejad is in China for a summit of central Asian countries and has taken the opportunity to press Tehran's case with Chinese and Russian leaders. - (Guardian service)