Japan said yesterday it shared the concerns of world powers over Iran's controversial nuclear programme and urged the Islamic republic to take "positive" steps towards resolving the dispute.
"Japan voices common concerns of the international community on Iran's nuclear issue and wants the issue to be solved based on UN resolutions," Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.
"I frankly said that in order to have progress on the 5-plus-1 negotiations, the Iranian side must take positive steps," he said of Britain, Russia, France, China, the US and Germany which have shown an interest in talks to resolve the nuclear dispute.
However Mottaki brushed off Nakasone, saying Tehran's nuclear programme was similar to Tokyo's.
"I told my counterpart that Japan had spent years in building trust over its nuclear acitivity and we are doing the same thing. Over all these years, nobody asked Japan to freeze or suspend its activity," he said.
"Iran's nuclear programme is legal and peaceful. It should be looked at in the same way as Japan's nuclear activity is looked at."
Global powers led by Washington suspect Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making atomic weapons, a charge Tehran vehemently denies.
In a bid to resolve the dispute, the administration of US President Barack Obama has extended a diplomatic hand to Tehran which saw the 5-plus-1 take the initiative to hold talks aimed at halting Iran's uranium enrichment project.
This process lies at the heart of the controversy as it can be used to produce electricity as well as the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
Iran, already labouring under three sets of UN sanctions, has refused to negotiate if it first has to suspend uranium enrichment.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that if dialogue fails to stop Iran, Washington would be prepared to adopt tough new sanctions.
Nakasone yesterday urged Tehran to take advantage of Obama's overtures.
"The government of Obama is seriously pursuing dialogue with Iran and without wasting time must take steps in this direction," he said.
But President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an interview broadcast last week, said Iran was not yet ready to talk to the US unconditionally.