Iran will not resume uranium enrichment during nuclear talks with the European Union (EU), the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Gholamreza Aghazadeh said Saturday.

"Iran will not resume uranium enrichment as long as our negotiators hold a new round of talks with the Europeans," Aghazadeh was quoted as saying by Iran's official IRNA news agency.

However, Aghazadeh said that Iran would definitely resume the enrichment in the future, adding that Tehran has legal right to gain mastery of complete nuclear fuel cycle.

IRNA reported that Iran and EU officials would resume talks over Iran's nuclear ambition before Dec. 25.

The EU suspended the talks in August after Tehran resumed the uranium conversion activities, a precursor to uranium enrichment which the EU has been persuading Iran to abandon as guarantee of its claim that its nuclear program is fully for peaceful purposes.

The EU is expected to sell Tehran on a Russian proposal which allows Iran to carry out uranium enrichment in Russia so as to keep Tehran from obtaining technology crucial to making atom bombs.

Iran refuses however to give up the right to enrichment on its territory and has invited other countries to take part in its nuclear program.

"Certain countries have signaled their agreement to cooperate in Natanz enrichment facility," Aghazadeh said, hoping the " negotiations with Europeans will facilitate this trend."

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the disguise of a civilian nuclear energy drive, a charge rejected by Tehran as politically motivated.

Source: Xinhua