Iran to study US talks offer if Washington changes behavior: Ahmadinejad

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Islamic Republic will study the US proposal for direct talks provided that Washington makes positive changes in its behavior.

“Remarks by US officials are new and positive and we hope that positive changes are made in their behavior too. If we witness positive changes in their behavior, then we will study it (the proposal) with a positive attitude,” Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with the editors-in-chief of Egyptian media in Cairo on Tuesday night.

Ahmadinejad is on a visit to Egypt to attend the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

His comments came in response to a question about US Vice President Joe Biden’s offer of direct talks with the Islamic Republic.

Speaking at the 49th annual Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 2, Biden said Washington was ready to hold direct talks with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.

The United States, the Israeli regime and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.