Visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamed Reza Baqiri reasserted in Damascus yesterday his country's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose, the official SANA news agency reported.

"This right was admitted by the majority of world states, so Iran pursues its work in this regard as it continues negotiations to remove any worries concerning that," Baqiri was quoted assaying.

Earlier, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials met and hold talks with Baqiri.

Baqiri revealed that during his talks with the Syrian leadership, he clarified Iran's stance towards proposals presented to it on its nuclear program and the two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Baqiri, meanwhile, denied reports about the possibility of Iran's direct talks with the United States, saying Iranian officials did not receive any serious proposals on this issue which was only raised in media.

Iran, a world large oil exporter, says it needs to enrich uranium as an alternative energy source for peaceful use and has the right to do so under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The West has accused Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons under a civilian cover, a charge has repeatedly denied by Tehran. The UN Security Council has recently adopted a resolution urging Tehran to suspend by Aug. 31 all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, or it will face the prospect of sanctions.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Tuesday issued Iran's official reply to the package authored by the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany in June in an effort to resolve the disputed nuclear issue, but the response letter gave no promise to halt the enrichment work.