Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a meeting with the new Sri Lankan ambassador to Tehran, Muhammad Zuhair, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Iran's approach to its nuclear issue is quite legal and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," the president was quoted as saying.

Ahmadinejad, meanwhile, called for justice which he said will solve all problems once established as a criteria for developing relations.

For his part, Zuhair said that Sri Lanka supports Iran's right to peaceful nuclear activities, noting that the current tensions on Iran's issue should be solved through talks.

Tehran is under intense international pressure to stop its uranium enrichment and the United States accuses Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to achieve an atomic bomb. Iran denied the charge and insisted its nuclear program is only for peaceful end.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are expected to have more talks on offering Iran a package of incentives in return for suspension of its enrichment-related activities.

Diplomats from the six nations have made encouraging progress on a compromise proposal which would drop the automatic threat of military action but still pack the threat of sanctions if Iran remains defiant.