Iranian prez Rouhani calls for 'serious' nuclear talks with international community

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for serious and substantive negotiations with the international community over its nuclear programme.

Rouhani said he was confident both sides' concerns could be resolved in a short time, but added that a solution could be reached solely through talks, not threats.

The US has said Rouhani's presidency presents an opportunity for Iran to resolve the world's deep concerns.

According to the BBC, Rouhani's message to the US Government was that to engage directly with Iran and to distance itself from pressure groups inside Congress who were bewildering it.

He however did not mention how he intended to resolve the nuclear issue.

He said suspending uranium enrichment was not on the agenda, but easing Western concerns over Iran's nuclear programme was, leaving open the possibility of more rigorous IAEA inspections, the report added.