Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that his country would not back down its right to continue nuclear fuel cycle work, the ISNA news agency reported.

Ahmadinejad said that Iran was determined to obtain all of its rights, including full nuclear rights and complete exploitation of nuclear fuel cycle.

"It (Iran) will not back down one iota in the face of the negative propagandas of enemies," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying during a trip to the East Azarbaijan province in northwestern Iran.

He made the remarks as top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana met in Brussels to discuss a proposal submitted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

After the meeting, Larijani said that his country was still studying the package, adding Iran needed more time to respond to it.

The West has urged Iran to reply to the proposal by Saturday, when a summit of the Group of Eight is held in St. Petersburg, Russia. But Tehran said it would not respond until August.

"I see no reason for being skeptical. We must allow more time for negotiations to work. That could be a very important negotiation for the region," Larijani told a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Brussels.

On June 6, Solana offered Iran a six-nation incentive package concerning the Iranian nuclear issue, which contains both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to 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, but Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purpose.