Iran Prez: I'll Share My Nuke Technology

(AP)  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday during a meeting with top Kuwaiti envoy that Iran is ready to transfer its nuclear technology to neighboring countries, state-run television reported.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer to regional states its valuable experience and achievements in the field of peaceful nuclear technology as a clean energy source and as a replacement for oil," the state quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Mohammed Zefollah Shirar, a top advisor to Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

The broadcast said Shirer is carrying a written message from the Emir to Ahmadinejad but didn't elaborate on the contents of the message.

The television said Ahmadinejad also welcomed a decision by Iran's Arab neighbors to the south to pursue peaceful nuclear technology programs.

Such a technological transfer would be legal as long as it is between signatory-states to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and as long as the International Atomic Energy Agency that monitors the treaty was informed of the transfer.

Iran is currently at odds with the United States and its European allies who accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, not bomb.

United Nations Sanctions Closer To Resolution

Meanwhile, on Friday Britain said that a deal is emerging on a U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, but Russia remains opposed to a European- and U.S.-backed travel ban on senior Iranian officials.

Ambassadors from six key nations drafting the resolution — Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia and China — reported some progress at the latest round of closed-door talks on Friday.

Britain's U.N. Ambassador, Emyr Jones Parry, said he thinks a deal is developing.

"On all of the elements that were contentious, there is now a way through them. It's a question of consolidating the progress we made this afternoon," he said.

He said he expects the resolution to be finalized by Tuesday, but Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said "things are not ready yet" to put into a final form.

"We have made some modest progress, but there are some things to be discussed," Churkin said. "So we are going back to the capitals and meeting Monday morning."

The latest draft would order all countries to ban the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs and impose a travel ban and asset freeze on top figures in the country's nuclear and missile programs. They have been named on a U.N. list.

Churkin said earlier this week that Moscow believes the travel ban is unnecessary.

Acting U.S. ambassador Alejandro Wolff said on Friday that the United States is still "fighting for" a travel ban which he called "a top priority." He said the United States also wants the resolution adopted "as soon as possible."

The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on uranium enrichment and commit to a freeze on enrichment before talks on its nuclear programme.

But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly and defiantly said his country would continue enrichment and is not intimidated by the possibility of sanctions.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy, but the United States and Europeans suspect Tehran's ultimate goal is the production of nuclear weapons.

With Iran refusing to comply with a Security Council deadline of August 31, 2006, to stop enrichment, Britain and France circulated a draft sanctions resolution in late October.

The draft has been revised to specify in greater detail exactly what materials and technology would be prohibited from being supplied to Iran and to name those individuals and companies that would be affected.

The revised draft also removed, to meet Russian and Chinese concerns that the initial resolution was too broad, reference to a nuclear facility being built by the Russians at Bushehr, Iran.

The facility, expected to go on line in late 2007, would be Iran's first atomic power plant.