Visiting former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Saturday called for talks between Iran and the United States at the highest possible level, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.

"We need dialogue at the highest possible levels" to resolve the discords between Iran and the United States, Schroeder said when addressing the members of Iranian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Tehran, according to the report.

He said the world must answer the problems in fields of energy, security, poverty and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through a joint attempt which needs a multilateral policy, because no single country is able to settle international challenges.

The chance for reaching a multilateral policy is increased with Barack Obama as the US president, Schroeder said, adding that " Obama has declared not only that he offers a friendly hand to the world of Islam but also that he extends his hand to the whole world only if relations are based on mutual respect."

"I believe it is well worth for countries, particularly Iran, to mull over the idea," he added, describing "serious talks" as the only solution to the regional crisis and also the disputed nuclear issue.

Schroeder also said employing nuclear energy is the right of every country based on international regulations and in line with strengthening the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

On Saturday, Schroeder met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on regional and international hot-spot issues.

According to the Presidential Office website, Ahmadinejad said in the meeting that the world needs basic changes and by coordination among the whole world all problems and difficulties of today's mankind should be solved.

Schroeder arrived in Iran on Thursday on a four-day visit. He also met Iran's Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2009)