Iran says talks can resolve nuclear dispute

DAKAR, Sept 14 (Reuters) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today said he believed his dispute with the West over his country's nuclear programme could be resolved through negotiations and that he was open to ''new conditions''.

''We are partisan to dialogue and negotiation and we believe that we can resolve the problems in a context of dialogue and of justice together,'' Ahmadinejad told a midnight news conference during a brief visit to Senegal's capital Dakar.

Asked whether Iran was willing to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, he reacted calmly to an earlier US statement which said his government was ''aggressively'' pursuing atomic bombs and should face sanctions now.

''I don't believe there will be sanctions because there is no reason to have sanctions. It would be preferable for the US officials not to speak in anger,'' he said, with a smile.

''I am announcing that we are available, we are ready for new conditions,'' he added, without elaborating, before leaving to fly to a Non-Aligned Summit in Cuba.

Western leaders have condemned Iran's disregard of an Aug.

31 UN Security Council deadline to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which Iran says is meant only to produce electricity.

The Islamic Republic, while indicating openness to negotiate on a timing and duration of suspension, has been refusing to take that step before negotiations on a big power offer of trade incentives not to develop nuclear fuel.

Reuters VJ RN0701