PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD SAID ON SUNDAY IRAN WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY OFFER MADE BY EUROPEAN STATES IF IT INCLUDED A DEMAND THAT TEHRAN STOP WHAT HE CALLED PEACEFUL NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES. THREE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES -- FRANCE, BRITAIN AND GERMANY -- ARE DRAWING UP INCENTIVES TO OFFER IRAN IN EXCHANGE FOR COOPERATION IN ENDING ENRICHMENT WORK. "ANY PROPOSAL THAT OBLIGES US TO STOP PEACEFUL (NUCLEAR) ACTIVITIES WOULD NOT HAVE VALUE AND WOULD NOT BE VALID," AHMADINEJAD SAID IN A SPEECH BROADCAST ON STATE TELEVISION. EUROPEAN MINISTERS WILL ON MONDAY DISCUSS A NEW PROPOSAL IN BRUSSELS TO END THE LONG-RUNNING STAND-OFF. THE PLAN INCLUDES INCENTIVES FOR COOPERATION IN ENDING URANIUM ENRICHMENT BUT ALSO A THREAT OF TARGETED SANCTIONS IF TEHRAN IS SEEN AS OBSTRUCTIONIST. IRAN INSISTS ITS AIMS ARE PEACEFUL AND ARGUES ITS RIGHT TO ENRICH URANIUM IS ENSHRINED IN THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT), ACCORDING TO A REPORT OF REUTERS. "I THINK THE BEST INCENTIVE IS THAT THEY IMPLEMENT THE REGULATIONS OF THE NPT .. .ESPECIALLY ON ARTICLES 2 AND 4," THE PRESIDENT SAID. ARTICLE 2 OF THE NPT SAYS SIGNATORIES SHOULD NOT DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND ARTICLE 4 SAYS NATIONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RESEARCH, DEVELOP AND PRODUCE NUCLEAR ENERGY. AHMADINEJAD ACCUSED THE EUROPEANS OF LIVING IN A "COLONIALIST WORLD" AND SAID TEHRAN WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY DECISIONS REACHED AT THE BRUSSELS MEETING. "IF THEY WANT TO DECIDE THINGS THAT CONCERN US IN A PLACE WHERE WE ARE NOT PRESENT, THEN THAT BODY DOES NOT HAVE ANY LEGAL VALIDITY OR CREDIBILITY IN DECISION-MAKING," AHMADINEJAD SAID. "WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THEIR HEADS AND WHO THEY THINK THEY ARE DEALING WITH. THE IRANIAN NATION ... CAN DECIDE FOR ITSELF," HE ADDED.
