Nicosia, July 22: The Iranian government announced today its decision to proceed with the privatization of ten power plants.

The process will start in two weeks time and will be completed by next March, the Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah told journalists.

Fattah said that gradually 80 power plants would be handed to the private sector and added: “At present, the privatization of ten power plants is being finalized. We have completed our part of the process and it is now up to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Iran''s Privatization Organization to decide about the rest," Fattah told the Mehr News Agency.

Washington - Iran and North Korea remain part of the "axis of evil" despite diplomatic overtures by the United States aimed at resolving disputes over both regime's nuclear programmes, the White House said Monday.

"Until they give up their nuclear weapons programmes completely and verifiably, I think that we would keep them in the same category," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

US President George W Bush coined the phrase "axis of evil" during his 2002 State of the Union address to character the two countries along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, all of which had links to terrorism while being suspected of pursuing weapons of mass destruction. Over the years, US officials have stopped using the terminology.

Tehran - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said Monday that Iran wanted no confrontation in the dispute over its nuclear programme and was optimistic about the future course of the nuclear talks with world powers. 

"We have a forward-looking and constructive approach and believe that we can move forward towards an agreement with understanding," Saeid Jalili said after returning to Tehran from talks in Europe. 

He was referring to remarks by US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack who said Tehran should either chose cooperation or confrontation. 

"These are indeed the two options but for all relevant sides: either an approach based on cooperation and constructive willingness or the opposite," Jalili said. 

Geneva - World powers and Iran are set to engage in a new round of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme in Geneva on Saturday.

Tehran - Iran on Friday said it was hoping for constructive nuclear talks in Geneva but reiterated again that it would make no concessions with regards to suspension of uranium enrichment, ISNA news agency reported.

"If we enter the talks with a constructive approach and avoid previous mistakes then we could definitely hold suitable negotiations," chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili said before leaving for Geneva for Saturday's talks.

Jalili is to meet with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and representatives from the five veto powers plus Germany (5+1).

For the first time also, the United States will attend the talks after Washington decided to dispatch Undersecretary of State William Burns to Geneva.

Vienna  - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has only low expectations for upc