TEHRAN, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Iran criticized the European Union for asking Tehran to suspend all nuclear activities.
"The demands of the European Union made in a statement Monday do not conform with the current developments in the world and in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Reza Asafi said Tuesday, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
Asafi reaffirmed Iran's "legitimate rights" to possess and use nuclear technology for peaceful objectives.
"Iran will not give up its rights, and also Europe should be committed to respecting previous agreements in that regard and acknowledge Iranian rights," Asafi added.
He stressed, however, that Iran welcomes dialogue for settling all pending problems on condition "it should be on an equal footing with mutual respect and without imposing preconditions."
Separately, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, told the BBC in an interview the resumption of talks with Europe could be "fruitful."
"In the same way that Iran is negotiating with China, Russia and the non aligned countries, it can have fruitful negotiations with the Europeans as well," he said.
