A European offer asking Iran to give up its uranium enrichment programme in return for a package of incentives would be like accepting candy in payment for gold, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today.
"They say we want to give Iranians incentives but they think they are dealing with a four-year-old, telling him they will give him candies or walnuts and take gold from him in return," he told a crowd in the central city of Arak.
"Don't force governments and nations who are signatories to the atomic Non-Proliferation Treaty to pull out of it," he added in remarks broadcast live on state television.
Britain, France and Germany plan to offer Iran a light-water nuclear reactor as part of a package of incentives if Tehran agrees to freeze its uranium enrichment programme.
EU diplomats said yesterday they would be very surprised if Iran accepted but would take a rejection as confirmation that its nuclear programme does not solely aim at generation for peaceful ends.
The United States and EU accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy programme, a charge Tehran denies.
Meanwhile, a Friday meeting of officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States to discuss Iran's nuclear programme has been postponed.
A British foreign office spokesman said: "The EU3-plus-three political director meeting has been postponed to allow for further preparation on the EU3 offer to Iran".
"We are not able to confirm the new date just yet," he said.