The Iranian government is open to talks over western economic incentives to halt its nuclear program in order to diffuse tensions with the West, the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday.
Manoucherhr Mottaki, who is in Uganda attending the Organization of Islamic Conference Business Forum, said at a press briefing that Iran also expects western powers to consider its proposals over the nuclear program if a peaceful resolution is to be reached.
"The economic package proposed by the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany is currently under consideration and we shall react at an appropriate time," he said, adding that Iran has already expressed its willingness for negotiations.
Last week, western major powers and China presented a new package of economic incentives to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program and stop uranium enrichment.
However, Mottaki said Iran is pursuing the program for peaceful means and doesn't require lecturing from the U.S. about its nuclear program.
Since 2003, Iran has been at loggerheads with the West after it was discovered that Iran was constructing a facility to enrich uranium, a key component of advanced nuclear weapons.
Efforts to persuade Iran to drop the program have come to nought and in 2006 Iran rejected proposals to drop the program in exchange for economic incentives.