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Iran: No stop to uranium program


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Iran has said its nuclear facilities, like this one at Arak, are for peaceful purposes only.
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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran says it will continue talks with Britain, Frances and Germany over their proposed package of incentives, but will not agree to an indefinite suspension of its nuclear enrichment activities.

"Indefinite suspension of nuclear enrichment activities is not acceptable to the Islamic Republic of Iran ... and it is not a subject of the talks," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

During talks Thursday in Vienna, the three European powers proposed a package of incentives aimed at persuading Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program, something they fear could be diverted to producing nuclear weapons.

The package proposes to supply nuclear fuel for Iran's planned power plants, and offers among other incentives enhanced trade and political relations.

The proposals were a last ditch effort before the next meeting of the Board of Governors of the IARA which is scheduled for November 25.

They have made it clear that if Iran rejects these proposals they will support a motion which will refer Iran's to the United Nations Security Council for possible international sanctions.

"We regard the European proposals as an initial and not the final proposal," said Mr. Asefi who added that the next round of talks will be held in Vienna on Wednesday.

Iran has said its Uranium enrichment activities are aimed at producing fuel for several nuclear power plants it plans to build over the next 20 years. It maintains that producing fuel is its legitimate right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United States says the program is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

CNN correspondent Kasra Naji contributed to this report


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