Iranian foreign minister says wants nuclear talks

MADRID, Mar 1 (Reuters) Iran wants a negotiated solution to its nuclear stand-off but parties must recognise the country's right to peaceful nuclear power, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki today said.

''Everybody insists on a negotiated solution to this issue ... so we are suggesting to various parties that these negotiations go forward,'' Mottaki told reporters in Madrid.

''We should be allowed back to the negotiating table to put forward our arguments before the media and the people.'' Mottaki, who earlier met Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, said it was not fair for the world to treat countries differently.

''One country in our region recently said it had nuclear weapons and what reaction was there?'' he said, refering to Israel. In December, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert publicly implied that the Jewish state had atomic weapons.

''We believe that the time has arrived to take things calmly and find peace. The US reasoning that they can have nuclear weapons and others can't have nuclear energy is not valid,'' Mottaki said.

REUTERS SY BST2119