Iran's government says it will present new initiatives to the European Union this week aimed at resolving the dispute over the Iranian nuclear program.
But, an Iranian government spokesman, Gholam Hossein Elham, Tuesday ruled out a suspension of uranium enrichment, describing such a move as a step backward that is not on Iran's agenda.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, is due to meet EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in London on Friday. Solana has tried to persuade Iran to resume talks with the EU on suspending sensitive nuclear work in return for a package of incentives.
Solana must report to the U.N. Security Council by the end of this month on Tehran's willingness to comply with international demands that it freeze uranium enrichment. His report could determine whether the council imposes a third set of sanctions on Iran.
The United States and other Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
