UN Chiefs meets Iran leader

UN: UN Chief Ban Ki-moon Sunday met Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and discussed about international disputes over Iran's nuclear drive.

Ahmadinejad met the Secretary General at the UN headquarters in his first formal engagement of his trip to New York for the UN General Assembly.

With Iran already facing four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment Ban "hoped that Iran will engage constructively in negotiations" with international powers on the nuclear showdown.

Ban said the talks should lead to "a mutually acceptable agreement in conformity with relevant Security Council resolutions," said a statement released by a UN spokesman. Talks between Iran and Britain, the United States, France, Germany, China and Russia have become stalled over the nuclear program, which Western powers say is aimed at developing an atomic weapon.

Iran denies the charge though recent reports by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency have been increasingly critical of Iran's refusal to cooperate with international inspectors.

United Nations, Monday, AFP