President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said if reelected he would invite his American counterpart Barack Obama for a debate on major global issues at the United Nations.
Talking to journalists from international news organizations, Ahmadinejad said, “I had earlier invited the former US president (George W. Bush) for a debate during my visit to the UN. If reelected I will extend the invitation to Mr. Obama,“ Fars News Agency reported.
He said he is willing to discuss with Obama the “roots of the problems facing global management and explore ways to foster international cooperation to help restore security and lasting peace in the world.“
“Changing the attitude of the big powers toward the global administration is the only way to restore lasting peace,“ he noted.
The president who is seeking a second and last term said Iran will not hold nuclear talks outside the framework of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“For us the nuclear issue is over. Talks outside the IAEA context will only be about ways and means to bring peace to the world. We have said this before and we are saying it again that we will not talk about the nuclear issue with those outside the IAEA.“
“The Iranian people will not allow anyone outside the IAEA to discuss our nuclear issue,“ the president declared.
The remarks come as the G5+1, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany, have urged Iran to return to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program.
Tehran says its program is directed at civilian applications of the technology. The US and Israel, however, accuse the country of developing nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad reiterated Iranian assertions that Tehran would never seek weapons of mass destructions -- including nuclear weapons.
“We think those who believe nuclear weapons offer an upper hand in political give-and-take are politically retarded,“ he told the reporters.