TEHRAN, Feb 21: Iran’s parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani on Saturday told former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that it was impossible to deprive Tehran of nuclear technology for peaceful uses.

“Iran has observed international regulations and depriving Iran of nuclear technology and energy for peaceful purposes is impossible,” Larijani told Schroeder during a meeting in Tehran, according to state broadcaster.

Schroeder, who is on an unofficial visit to Iran, met top officials of the Islamic republic, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

During his meeting with Larijani, the former chancellor praised Iran’s “positive and constructive role in Afghanistan”.

Later during a meeting with former Iranian president Akber Hashemi Rafsanjani, he said that without “US and Iran cooperating” current regional issues would not be solved.

Schroeder also said it was wrong to have ignored and isolated Palestinian Islamist militant group, Hamas, over the past years while solving the regional issues.

“It is necessary to have this group join regional solutions,” he said.

He emphasised that if Iran wanted to be recognised as a regional and international power, it should assume some responsibility and respect international law.

But the former German leader also said Iran had an opportunity to ease tensions with the West.“With the new US administration there is a chance of having a multilateral approach, not only with the Islamic world but with everybody... That is a good opportunity for Iran,” Mehr news agency quoted him as saying in his speech.

Ahmadinejad too told Schroeder that the current issues “should be resolved with global cooperation and harmony,” the state broadcaster said.—AFP