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Iran 'may share nuclear know-how'

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Iran resumed uranium conversion last month at the Isfahan plant.

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UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Iran's president has told Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that his country is ready and willing to give peaceful nuclear technology to Islamic states, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Thursday.

"The Islamic Republic never seeks weapons of mass destruction and with respect to the needs of Islamic countries, we are ready to transfer nuclear know-how to these countries," said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting with Erdogan during this week's U.N. World Summit.

The United States, which has no direct ties with Iran, and the European Union fear the Islamic Republic will use its nuclear program to create weapons. The EU has been negotiating with Iran, but no agreement has been reached.

Iran insists that its program has nothing to do with weaponry and instead reflects its awareness of decreasing oil reserves.

"We have firmly decided to use this technology for peaceful purposes within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, international regulations and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," Ahmadinejad said.

The president again criticized nations, such as the United States, that have large nuclear weapons arsenals but oppose Iran's program.

Ahmadinejad and Erdogan discussed strengthening economic ties between Turkey and Iran, which the Iranian president said he prefers to direct contact with Europe. Erdogan invited the Iranian president to pay an official visit to Ankara, IRNA said.

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