国际英语新闻：Iran proposes date, venue, says not to discuss nuclear issue with major powers

TEHRAN/ANKARA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran proposed Nov. 23 or Dec. 5 as the date for planned talks with major powers in Istanbul but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran will not discuss the nuclear issue in the proposed talks.

Referring to Iran's Tuesday official proposal, Turkey announced Wednesday that Iran has proposed either Nov. 23 or Dec. 5 as the date for planned talks with major powers on its nuclear program in Istanbul.

Iranian officials had two proposals on the date of the negotiations with the five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany (G5+1) and were waiting for a response, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency as saying.

Iran proposed date and venue for the talks with the G5+1 on Tuesday and said that the country is "serious" and "honest" about the talks.

In an official letter to the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday, the content of which was not disclosed, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili delivered the country's suggestion on the venue and date for the talks with G5+1.

Erdogan said Wednesday that the Iran's nuclear issue could come up during his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the G20 summit, which is due on Thursday and Friday in South Korea.

Iranian President said in a televised speech in the central city of Qazvin on Wednesday that Iran will not make any concession over its nuclear rights and the Islamic Republic will only talk about international problems.

"Iran is ready to hold talks on equal conditions to help settle ongoing problems, ease international concerns and establish peace and security in the world," he said, adding the Islamic Republic will never talk about its basic rights.

The Iranian nation would never allow anyone to violate its legitimate rights even by an iota, he said, expressing the Islamic Republic's readiness to negotiate based on justice and respect, according to local satellite Press TV.