"The Iranian government and nation have made their decision and undoubtedly will pass this period with success," Ahmadinejad, who is in the Gambian capital of Banjul for an African Union summit,told his Ivory Coast counterpart Laurent Gbagbo on Friday.

Ahmadinejad also condemned some certain "haughty powers" for preventing countries from exercising their rights."There are signs of bullying powers behind every cruelty and corruption. They benefit from situations of tension and conflict,but there are also several signs which indicate that the bullying era is coming to an end," said Ahmadinejad.

Gbagbo, for his part, supported Iran's nuclear program, saying access to nuclear energy for a peaceful purpose is an inalienable and legal right of the Iranian people.

Western powers on Thursday exerted mounting pressure on Iran,asking the country to formally respond in a week to a six-nation package which demanded suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment activities.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani are scheduled to meet next Wednesday to discuss "ambiguities" in the package pointed out by Iran.

"We are looking forward to a clear and substantive Iranian response to these proposals at the planned meeting," foreign ministers of the Group of Eight countries said in a statement in Moscow.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki immediately responded in New York that Tehran would not give a response to the proposals before August.

On June 6, Solana offered Iran the six-nation incentive package concerning the Iranian nuclear issue, which had been agreed on by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.The proposals include both incentives aimed at persuading Iranto suspend uranium enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply.

The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran.