http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5021796/Iran-responds-to-Barack-Obamas-video-appeal-with-nuclear-pledge.html

By Our Foreign Staff and Agencies in Tehran
Last Updated: 2:54PM GMT 20 Mar 2009

Mr Obama sent Iran an unprecedented videotaped message offering a fresh start in diplomatic engagement after decades of US hostility to the Islamic Republic.

He went further than he has since taking office on Jan 20 in extending an olive branch to Tehran, which has been locked in bitter disputes with Washington over Iranian nuclear ambitions and support for militants operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In an unusually swift reaction to Mr Obama’s overture, Aliakbar Javanfekr, an aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Iran welcomed “the interest of the American government to settle differences”.

But he said that the US government “should realise its previous mistakes and make an effort to amend them”.

In an almost simultaneous announcement, from Iran’s energy minister, Parviz Fattah, said that the country would “finish and operate” its controversial Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant by the end of the year.

“Iran has chosen a direction for achieving peaceful nuclear energy. We have mainly reached this aim,” he said at the World Water Forum in Istanbul.

“Exactly 20 days from now we will have another celebration for celebrating the achievements we have gained for peaceful nuclear energy. You will hear about the news,” he said.

“Iran will finish and operate the Bushehr nuclear plant by the end of this year.”

He added that while Mr Obama’s message to his country on the occasion of the Iranian New Year was “positive”, it had to be followed by “positive action”.

“Absolutely this message is positive … although it might also have negative points in itself as well,” he said.

“The Iranian leaders will precisely assess this message. We believe that we need that in addition to messages we need positive action from Mr Obama as well as from his government. So in addition to talk, we need actions.”