IRAN'S President yesterday welcomed a package of incentives aimed at inducing his country to abandon its nuclear program as a "step forward".
But Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking after the conclusion of a Central Asian security group summit dominated by China and Russia, said Iran was examining the offer of incentives for Tehran to stop enriching uranium, a process that could eventually yield atomic bombs.
Asked whether he had received assurances from Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit to oppose sanctions against Iran, Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran did not accept the principle of sanctions and "so we don't talk about it".
Asked by The Age about the nuclear talks with Mr Hu and Mr Putin, the Iranian President said the three countries' "views and positions on many issues are close and even identical".
Washington confirmed on Thursday that penalties originally written into the package were left out when it was delivered to Tehran.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/tehran-welcomes-nuclear-proposals/2006/06/16/1149964740447.html