TEHRAN – President Mohammad Khatami here on Sunday said the Islamic Republic is championing the movement to make the Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Khatami, speaking in a meeting with the new Danish ambassador to Tehran, said there is no place for atomic weapons in Iran’s defense policy even though there is a strong determination to overcome backwardness.

He said that the Iranian nation is struggling to develop access to peaceful nuclear technology, stressing that Iranians have always been the forerunners of freedom in the Middle East and the Muslim world.

Khatami further voiced Iran’s readiness to promote ties with other countries based on mutual respect and the policy of détente.

The Danish ambassador, for his part, hailed Iran’s efforts to promote international peace and security, and voiced Copenhagen’s satisfaction with the expansion of ties with Tehran, particularly in the private sector.