An Iranian package of proposals on international security presented to the European Union does not specifically address concerns over its nuclear ambitions, Iran's ambassador to the European Union said today.
"We have presented a wider approach, beyond the nuclear issue," Ambassador Aliasghar Khaji told reporters, adding that the nuclear question should be left to experts.
Mr Khaji presented the proposals to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana yesterday. Mr Solana promised to study the package and respond in due course, an EU spokeswoman said.
Mr Khaji said the package covered possible new mechanisms to solve global problems such as fighting terrorism, poverty and what he called militarism as well as concerns such as the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The West suspects Tehran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability through its secretive programme to make nuclear fuel and its defiance of UN resolutions calling for the suspension of uranium enrichment activities.
The UN Security Council has imposed three rounds of relatively mild sanctions on Iran in response. Major powers agreed last week to update and enhance an offer of wide-ranging economic and political cooperation if the Islamic Republic complies with the international community's demands.
Mr Khaji said he understood the Iranian proposals had also been handed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, to Russia, China and Switzerland, which represents US interests in Iran.
Asked how many pages the package contained, he said: "Not many." He said he was not authorised to be more specific.
Asked how the package related to the continuing nuclear standoff with the West, he said: "If we want to go into details, that requires continuous cooperation and dialogue ... expert discussions at expert level."
The ambassador said Iran was willing to consider any new ideas put forward by the five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - plus Germany.
"We are ready to receive the package that might be offered by the P5+1," he said.