An Iranian deputy foreign minister asked the world powers to recognize the "legitimate rights" of his country to pursue "peaceful nuclear technology", the official IRNA news agency reported Wednesday.

Iran will respond to the West in a positive manner in the upcoming nuclear talks if the latter continue talks in a realistic atmosphere, said Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iranian deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs.

Abdollahian expressed hope that the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1, namely the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on May 23 will be a step forward.

A day earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its representatives will meet again with Iranian officials over nuclear issues after ending their two-day talks in Vienna, Austria.

The negotiations were held behind closed doors in the Iranian permanent representative's office in Vienna.

"The primary focus of our discussions was how to clarify issues related to possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program. We had a good exchange of views and we will meet again on Monday," IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts told reporters after the meetings.

On Monday, the IAEA called on Iran to allow inspectors access to Iranian sites, people and documents the agency seeks in order to address concerns that the country might have been working on nuclear weapons.