Monday, June 6 2005 10:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Rejecting demands to suspend its nuclear programme, former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has said his country is ready to provide "greater assurances" to the world that it will not use nuclear technology for military purposes.

"We are not willing to suspend. But we are ready to provide greater assurances to the world that we won't move from peaceful nuclear technology to military technology," Rafsanjani, a candidate in next week's Presidential election in Iran, told Time magazine in an interview.

"If we need time and negotiations for creating this confidence, we are prepared. Our key policy is that the world move towards total nuclear (weapon) disarmament," he said.

The US believes Iran's uranium enrichment programme is a step towards acquisition of nuclear weapons. But Iran maintains that it wants to enrich uranium only to provide fuel for producing electricity.

About Iran's relations with the US, Rafsanjani said, "We don't have any problems with the people and the country of the US. Whenever there has been an opportunity for reasonable cooperation, we've seized it. It was America that initiated the cutting of relations with Iran."

In 1986, "we made a limited agreement with them for receiving weapons in return for freeing hostages. But even there, the Americans behaved badly and messed up the game. I think if the US comes along, it is possible to end hostilities. (The US) has to take a serious step that indicates their goodwill for cooperation."

Next week's Presidential election in Iran is the first since 2001 in which Rafsanjani is trying for a third stint, having served twice from 1989 to 1997.