Iran offers atomic expertise to Algeria: Agency

Tehran, Nov 28: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today Iran was ready to share its nuclear expertise with Algeria, Iran's student news agency ISNA reported.

Iran has been referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions after failing to heed a demand to halt uranium enrichment work, which the West says Iran wants to use to build atomic bombs. Iran denies this.

The North African country is one of six Arab states which an official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said were interested in developing nuclear power programmes, the weekly Middle East Economic Digest reported this month.

''Iran is ready to hand over its experience in various fields including energy and peaceful nuclear technology to Algeria,'' ISNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a meeting with Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil.

Iran has previously said it was ready to share its peaceful nuclear technology with other countries.

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, insists it only wants to harness nuclear power to generate electricity.

Reuters