President: Iran ready for fair talks with U.S.

Source: Xinhua | 02-11-2009 07:43

TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iran was ready for "fair talks" with the United States.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech in a rally to mark the 30th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution in  Tehran, capital of Iran, Feb. 10, 2009. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Iran was ready for "fair talks" with the United States.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a rally in Tehran's Azadi (liberty) Squarea to mark the 30th anniversary of the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution.

"The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect," Ahmadinejad told the rally.

"The new U.S. administration has announced that they want to produce changes. Iranian nation welcomes real changes, and it is quite clear that real changes must be fundamental and not tactical," he said.

Referring to the slogan of "change" by U.S. new President Barack Obama, Ahmadinejad said "the new U.S. administration has said that they want to do changes and to follow the course of dialogue but the change must be essential not a tactic."

"The Iranian nation welcomes true changes and Iran is ready to talk in fair atmosphere with mutual respect," stressed the Iranian president.

"The United States must give up threats and sanctions," he said, adding Iran has now become "a real and true superpower."

"Here, I officially announce, Iran today is real and true superpower, but the Iranian nation is fond of justice and the friend of the other nations," and is not the threat for them, he added.

On Sunday, Iran urged the United States to change the strategy before talks between the two countries are initiated.