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Ahmadinejad says ready to talk with Bush directly

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-13 20:16

TEHRAN  -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that he was ready to talk with US President George W. Bush directly, the official IRNA news agency reported.

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"As I have previously announced, I am ready to talk with Mr. Bush directly," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying after a cabinet meeting.

Responding to the question whether Iran and the United States are willing to hold direct talks, Ahmadinejad said that Iran prefers direct talks with the United States without intermediary.

"Tehran does not need any mediator for talks with Washington and is well-prepared for direct talks," he said.

The United States severed its ties with Iran in 1980. From then on, Washington has been trying to beef up its sanctions against Tehran for alleged developing secretly nuclear weapons and involving in anti-US coalition forces activities.