Iran ready for talks, but not on nukes

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- Iran's president says his government is willing to hold talks with the United States and Europe, but not about its controversial nuclear program.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a satellite interview on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" that Iran maintained nuclear development was within his country's sovereign rights and disputes should handled through a global regulatory framework.

"The nuclear issue of ours is a special issue," he said through a translator. "We think that the nuclear issue needs to be resolved in the context of the agency and regulations."

Ahmadinejad said Iran was otherwise willing to discuss a wide range of other issues with other nations, including unspecified new matters that have cropped up in recent months.

"Many new issues have been added to the agenda, so to speak, and we are reconsidering our proposed package. We are adding new issues to the realm, if you will, of the talks," the president said. "We are going to make that public as soon as possible. We are always ready to talk."