Iran committed to atomic development

TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Iran's nuclear ambitions will not be affected by the departure of the man charged with calming international fears, it was reported Sunday.

Former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani will accompany his replacement, Saeed Jalili, to Rome Tuesday for meetings with meetings European Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana, Iran's government-run Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA, reported Sunday.

Larijana tendered his resignation last week amid differences with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about the amount of flexibility Iran should show in nuclear negotiations.

"The resignation has been accepted by the president but the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear policies, approaches and objectives will not change," government spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said Sunday in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad has said Iran is enriching uranium for energy production, not for weapons, and therefore has no reason to discuss limiting or closing its atomic facilities.