Ahmadinejad: Tehran never gives up nuclear program

TEHRAN, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Monday that Tehran will never give up its nuclear program despite the risk of fresh sanctions, the state-run TV's website reported.

Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a meeting with his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika who are in Tehran for visit, according to the report.

"They have deeply understood that Iran's peaceful nuclear program will never be stopped," Ahmadinejad said, referring to the U.S. representative participation without any precondition in the Geneva nuclear talks.

"they have no choice but to talk and cooperate with Iran," Ahmadinejad added.

"Despite threats and sanctions by a number of big powers, our people are living their own lives and these (threats and sanctions)cannot hinder our progress," stressed the Iranian president.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana agreed in a telephone conversation earlier on Monday to continue nuclear talks on Iran's disputable nuclear program.

Their talks came after six major countries recently agreed to consider new sanctions against Iran in the wake of remarks by Western governments saying Iran failed to give a "clear positive response" to their latest offer of incentives.

Iran's government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said Sunday that Tehran's nuclear stance will not be changed by sanctions or threats.

The EU issued a decree on Friday to consider fresh UN Security Council sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

The EU presidency decreed that its financial institutions must exercise restraint on export credits to Iran and that its 27 member states inspect Iran-bound cargoes.

On June 14, Solana handed the offer of incentives to the Iranian authorities on behalf of France, Britain, Russia, China, the United States and Germany during his visit to Tehran in a bid to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

Iran has also presented its own package of proposals, which is aimed to help resolve regional and international problems, including Iran's nuclear issue.

Bouteflika heading a high-ranking delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday for a three-day visit.

He is accompanied by five cabinet members, including the Minister of Energy and Mines Chakib Khelil who also holds the rotating presidency of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Iran is the fourth largest oil exporter in the world and ranks second in output among OPEC members.