President Mohammad Khatami, speaking in Tehran on Wednesday, referred to the US charges against Iran as a repetition and said that there is nothing new about it, IRNA reported.

Addressing reporters after attending a cabinet meeting Wednesday, in response to a question on US charges against Iran, the Chief Executive termed it as baseless and outdated.

Government Spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, referred to the approach of some US officials towards negotiation with Iran, he said, "We are looking forward to the US practical measures to the effect, given it is out of question to be threatened and accused on the one hand and called on for negotiations on the other."

In response to a question whether the act will be practical and if the US crosses out Iran's name from the three countries listed as the 'Axis of Evil', he denounced such accusation as worthless.

Replying to another question on the allegation of US officials that they don't intend to change Iran's regime, he said, "We are not concerned about what the Americans say, but the US practical measures aimed to attract the confidence of Iranian nation is what actually matters."

Turning to the remark of the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, that delivery of Al-Qaeda members to the US by Iran will be a practical step towards improvement of ties, he said that Iran believes that a unified approach should be practiced worldwide towards terrorist issues.

"Iran doesn't need any interference by other countries in this respect. It would rather proceed in line with protecting its national interests.

"According to Iran's foreign policy, any suspected Al-Qaeda members entering Iran illegally will be returned to their country of origin if security agreements on returning culprits are mutually signed by Iran and their homeland. Otherwise, they will be subject to Iranian laws," he added.

Pointing to the file of the Iranian photo-journalist, Zahra Kazemi and the charges against the Ministry of Information, he hope that the case will be clarified in a transparent unbiased court.

Asked to express his view on the criticism brought up lately against the Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF) in the recent meeting attended by President Mohammad Khatami and IIPF members, he noted that since his absence at the meeting he is unaware of what took place at the session.

In reply to a question on the upcoming Majlis elections, Ramezanzadeh hoped to witness an improved atmosphere for seventh Majlis election.

Americans gradually coming closer to realities, spokesman says

The Americans are gradually coming closer to the realities, but, the big question is what practical steps the US will take to attract confidence of the Iranian nation, Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said Wednesday in his weekly press briefing, IRNA reported from Tehran.

A foreign reporter asked whether Iran will consider as a practical step if Washington drops Iran from the list of 'axis of evil', Ramezanzadeh said that the list has no credibility as far as Iran is concerned.

Another reporter said that the US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called for Iran to extradite al-Qaeda terrorist suspects as a gesture to thaw in Tehran-Washington relations, Ramezanzadeh said Iran believes that all the nations should take similar steps toward the terrorist groups without discrimination, a reference to Iran's demand from the coalition forces in Iraq to extradite members of terrorist Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) camping in Iraq.