China and Russia speak up for Iran at nuclear meeting

Iran said it would not abandon nuclear fuel work as a guarantee against fears it might make nuclear weapons as several countries spoke up on Tuesday for the right to peaceful atomic technology, at a UN conference on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"Iran for its part is determined to pursue all legal areas of nuclear technology, including {uranium} enrichment exclusively for peaceful purposes," Kharazi said.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer warned on Monday that resumption of enrichment activities by Iran "would lead to a collapse of the talks" with the EU on getting Iran to give guarantees it is not making atom bombs.

Fischer said a breakdown in negotiations would also lead to a push by Europe and the US, which charges that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons, to take Iran before the UN Security Council for possible international sanctions.