IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADI NIJAD HAS CONFIRMED THE DETERMINATION OF HIS COUNTRY ON DEFENDING ITS RIGHTS AND SOVEREIGNTY. IN A STATEMENT CARRIED BY THE IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY, NIJAD SAID IT IS THE RIGHT OF HIS COUNTRY TO ACQUIRE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES. 'OUR ENEMIES ARE KEEN ON DEPRIVING OUR COUNTRY THIS RIGHT, BUT WE ARE DETERMINED ON GOING AHEAD ON THE PATH OF OUR PEACEFUL NUCLEAR PROGRAM', HE ELABORATED. NIJAD DESCRIBED THE IRANIAN PEOPLE AS A PEACE-LOVING NATION, AND SAID 'WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR ENHANCING THE PILLARS OF GLOBAL PEACE AND SECURITY AND MAKING THE WORLD FREE FROM WEAPONS OF MASS-DESTRUCTION.