Iran is serious about its program of enriching uranium but will cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog and avoid adventurism, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the visiting Russian president.

Khamenei made the comments during a meeting late Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin who presented the Iranian leader a proposal to solve the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program which the US and its allies believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

"We will ponder about your words and proposal," Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying about the offer.

There are no official reports available on the contents of Putin's message but officials close to hard-liners within the Iranian ruling Islamic establishment said the proposal could have been a "time-out" on sanctions if Teheran suspends uranium enrichment.

Russia, which is building Iran's first atomic power plant, has backed two sets of limited UN sanctions on Iran.

But it is resisting a push by the United States and its European allies for a third round of tougher steps aimed at punishing Iran for not stopping work that could be used to make bombs.

Iran says it wants to master nuclear technology so it can generate electricity and export more of its oil and gas.

Agencies

(China Daily 10/18/2007 page12)