Senior Iranian lawmaker says he hopes that the stage will be set for the referral of Iran's nuclear dossier from the UNSC to the IAEA.

In a meeting with his Italian counterpart Umberto Ranieri, Head of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Majlis Alaeddin Boroujerdi underlined Iran's policies on seeking a world free of weapons of mass destruction.

Boroujerdi expressed hope that other IAEA questions and concerns have been settled in ElBaradei's recent visit to Tehran.

He termed the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran's nuclear activities as an acknowledgement by US officials of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities, saying the report demonstrated that Iran's nuclear program has not strayed from the right path.

The Iranian official asserted that the Islamic Republic is determined to continue its peaceful nuclear activities. He reiterated Iran would launch its first nuclear power plant.

Pointing to Iran's interest in the expansion of relations with European countries, particularly Italy, Boroujerdi termed the country as Iran's main economic partner among other European states.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Ranieri for his part noted that his country favors the continuation of Iran's nuclear negotiations and a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear standoff.

The Italian official who heads a high-ranking delegation in Tehran also stressed the long-term relations between the two states, saying the Italian delegation's visit to Tehran is a sign of Italy's political will to bolster ties with the Islamic Republic.

AO/JG/RA