A senior Russian security official on Saturday denied reports that Russia put forward a proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock over Iran's nuclear program.

    Russia had reportedly given Iran a proposal which would allow Iran to keep uranium conversion while shifting the most sensitive part of nuclear fuel cycle - enrichment - to Russia to remove Western suspicion that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

    "No such proposal had been made," Igor Ivanov, Russia's Security Council Secretary, said after a meeting with top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Ivanov, who arrived in Tehran on Friday on a three-day visit,reiterated Russia's stance that Iran's nuclear issue should be settled within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Larijani said that Iran needs "a change of attitude" rather than new proposals so that Iran's legitimate right to peaceful nuclear technology is recognized.

Larijani said that no new proposal was discussed at the meeting with Ivanov, adding that if any proposals were put forward, then Iran would take them into consideration.

"What matters to us is owning the full cycle of nuclear fuel inIran," he said on Friday when asked to comment on the reported proposal.

The West fears that the enrichment process could enable Iran to produce nuclear weapons-grade uranium.

In August Tehran rejected European proposal that Iran give upenrichment in exchange for economic and technical incentives andresumed the uranium conversion work, prompting EU trio of Britain,France and Germany to suspend nuclear talks with Iran.

    The IAEA in September paved the way for Iran's referral to the UN Security Council - which could impose sanctions - but it has not set a date for this.

The agency's board of governors is due to discuss the issue on Nov. 24.

The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons, a charge rejected by Tehran.

Source: Xinhua