TOKYO, Nov 14: Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on Friday pleaded for Japan’s cooperation in its attempt to head off a United Nations Security Council debate over its covert nuclear programme, a Japanese government official said.

In separate meetings with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, Mr Kharazi said Iran was willing to agree to a tougher ‘additional protocols’ inspection regime by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the official said.

“We have made this decision under fierce opposition domestically,” Mr Kharazi was quoted as telling Mr Koizumi.

“It was a problem that we did not report some (nuclear) activities, but they were not for military purposes,” Mr Kharazi said.—AFP