Iran has joined the world's nuclear club, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku on Friday.

Despite all the problems and difficulties, Iran, "relying on the efforts of its younger generation and scientists, has succeeded in advancing the nuclear fuel cycle and joining the group of nuclear states," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency in a statement at the ninth summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization.

"We are interested in continuing our work on the basis of international principles and laws and also under the International Atomic Energy Agency control until we achieve the production of industrial nuclear fuel for our nuclear power stations," Ahmadinejad said.

"Our scientific progress and the might of our people serve peace and prosperity in the region and worldwide and do not harm the interests of a single state," the statement says.

He said he regretted "injustice in the present international structure, the nonobservance of laws and the violation of the rights of people on the part of certain oppressive forces."

"Under the influence of superpowers, international organizations have lost their important functions," he said.

France and Britain, backed by the United States, introduced Wednesday a new draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding Iran suspend all enrichment activities immediately or face possible sanctions.

Last August, Iran rescinded its voluntary suspension of nuclear fuel conversion, which can produce the enriched uranium necessary either for nuclear power generation or for nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its activities are solely for energy purposes but the United States and some other countries claim it is clandestinely seeking to produce nuclear weapons.