Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would be ready to help the United States in solving global problems, the official news agency IRNA reported Friday.

In a meeting with the new Swiss ambassador to Tehran, Ahmadinejad said that Iran would welcome "real changes" by the new US administration of President Barack Obama, however, under the condition that the atmosphere of bilateral relations would be based on respect and equality.

Ahmadinejad has reiterated several times that Iran would cooperate with the US in settling the problems in Iraq and Afghanistan but in return, Washington should respect and acknowledge Iran and its policies.

Switzerland represents US interests in Tehran as Iran and the US have had no diplomatic ties for almost three decades.

"I hope that the ethics, thoughts and actions by [former US president George W] Bush are now just history and that the new US statesmen have taken a lesson [from his mistakes]," Ahmadinejad said.

Referring to the nuclear dispute between Tehran and Washington, Ahmadinejad said that the US and other world powers should accept the legitimate rights of the Iranian nation and skip their bullying approach.

Iran considers pursuing of civil nuclear technology, including the controversial uranium enrichment programme, as its legitimate right in line with regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The West, however, fears that Iran might pursue a secret nuclear programme and use the same enrichment process as a basis for building an atomic bomb. Iran is the subject of several UN Security Council sanctions following its refusal to stop its enrichment drive.

Tehran has so far categorically denied the charges and even declared its readiness for letting Western states participate in its nuclear projects for guaranteeing their peaceful nature. (dpa)