The statement was issued just before the UN Security Council vote due on later in the day over a draft resolution imposing sanctions against Tehran.

It said that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe and American Affairs Saeed Jalili had said during his visit to Switzerland on Friday that Iran is cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ready to talk. Jalili made the remarks at the meeting with Switzerland's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Michael Ambul.

For his part, Ambuhl stressed Switzerland's opposition to unilateralism and violence, saying its foreign policy is based on the peaceful solution of international issues and respect for human rights.

The UN Security Council president for December, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar, said on Friday that the council is expected to put the draft resolution to the vote on Saturday morning.

The draft, originally set to vote on Friday, is sponsored by Britain, France and Germany. It would slap a ban on imports and exports of materials and technology relating to uranium enrichment, reprocessing and heavy water reactors, as well as ballistic missile delivery systems.

However, the Europeans have made a number of changes to the draft to meet Russian concerns, including watering down a contentious proposal for a travel ban on some Iranian officials directly linked to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.