EXCLUSIVE - Iran's pitch to big powers sidesteps atomic concerns

By Mark Heinrich

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran's proposal for negotiations with world powers urges cooperation to stabilise the Middle East but makes clear Tehran would not give up nuclear activity as they demand, according to the text obtained by Reuters.

Diplomats who saw the proposal said it ignored global concerns about Iran's uranium enrichment programme, a possible pathway to atom bombs, and so was likely to be of little use in defusing the Islamic Republic's standoff with major powers.

Iran's ambassador to the European Union, who handed the proposal running just over two pages to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tuesday, said in Brussels on Wednesday that it had taken "a wider approach, beyond the nuclear issue".

Entitled "The Islamic Republic of Iran's Proposed Package for Constructive Negotiations", the proposal emerged as six big powers were finalising revisions to a batch of incentives to Iran not to pursue enrichment.

They plan to present the updated package to Iran shortly. But Iran has already been dismissive since the major powers kept a precondition that Tehran halt all enrichment-related activity.

Iran's package called for "establishing enrichment and nuclear fuel production consortiums in different parts of the world, including in Iran" and better access to peaceful nuclear technology for "all states", a reference to developing nations.

Iran has proposed an enrichment consortium on its soil before, which theoretically would minimise chances of diverting enrichment from electricity generation -- Iran's stated civilian nuclear goal -- into bombmaking.

But Western powers have ruled this out as it could still allow Iran, which has raised suspicions with a record of nuclear secrecy and restricting U.N. inspections, to master the capability to assemble a nuclear warhead.