HERAT, Afghanistan - Iran is ready to establish nuclear energy cooperation with other countries, based on the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's foreign minister said on Friday.

He was speaking during a visit to the western Afghan city of Herat for a conference of the Economic Cooperation Organisation.

"Under the watch of the agency (the IAEA), the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to cooperate with other countries in the nuclear field with a peaceful purpose," Manouchehr Mottaki said when a journalist asked if Iran was prepared to cooperate on nuclear energy with ECO member countries.

"...I emphasize that this (cooperation) will have to be in the framework of the supervision of the international atomic agency," he added.

The United States and some of its Western allies have accused Tehran of trying to build a nuclear bomb and have imposed economic sanctions. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.