Iran has agreed to hold talks with the group of six world powers over its controversial nuclear development program.

Saeed Jalili, a top official with the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, announced on Monday that he notified European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana by phone about his nation’s agreement to the talks.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes discussions with the group of six for a constructive cooperation,” said Jalili, according to the ISNA Iranian news agency.

The Supreme National Security Council is Iran’s top national security decision-making entity and will be the agency responsible for holding talks on any nuclear issues, .

Five days ago, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, plus Germany, had asked Solana to invite the Tehran government for talks.

Earlier in the week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated a nuclear plant that has begun to produce uranium oxide fuel pellets for the planned heavy-water nuclear reactor in Isfahan. Spent fuel from a heavy-water reactor may be used to produce a nuclear weapon.

Israel and most Western nations suspect that Iran is gearing its nuclear development program toward the creation of an atomic warhead, despite Tehran’s denials.

For Israel in particular, the issue is especially urgent as Ahmadinejad has repeatedly referred to the Jewish State as a “malignant cancer” and vowed to “wipe the Zionist State off the map of the world.”