South Africa said on Monday that it backs Iran's stance on the right of a country to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

"South Africa will not accept any prevention of the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. It is a demand we make and we support Iran in that regard," Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister AzizPahad said.

Pahad made the statement in Pretoria on the first day of the second session of the SA-Iran Deputy Ministerial Working Group's meeting. He emphasized South Africa sought a world free from nuclear weapons.

"The right (to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes) is something logical and in line with the international community's intentions," said Ahmad Azizi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs, who is co-chairing the meeting with Pahad.

Pahad said Iran was South Africa's second largest supplier of oil and that business ties with the country were in the process of being developed.

"The Iranian government is looking for ways in which South Africa can export to Iran's needs, in order to narrow the terms of trade between the two countries," said Pahad.

The Iranian government had also given South Africa proposals on furthering ties in technical training, agriculture and security, in the context of progress in the New Partnership for Africa's Development, said Pahad.

The two countries had memoranda of understanding on tourism and environmental affairs in order to increase tourism between the countries and to discuss the effects of climate change.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2005)