YASOUJ, Iran, (AP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is praising U.S. participation in the latest round of nuclear talks with Tehran as a “positive step forward.”

Ahmadinejad also calls it a step toward recognizing Iran’s right to acquire nuclear technology.

The Iranian president said Wednesday that the United States’ decision to attend the talks in Geneva, Switzerland, will help repair America’s image in the world.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Iran of not being serious in Saturday’s talks despite the presence of a senior U.S. diplomat.

The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons and demand that it freeze uranium enrichment. Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.