The president, speaking in the northeastern city of Mashhad, congratulated the people of Iran, saying this day will be registered in Iranian history as a day of notable technological achievement.

"I announce, officially, that dear Iran has joined the nuclear countries of the world," Ahmadinejad said, adding that the hard work of scientists and young experts in Iran has managed to achieve the completion of the nuclear-fuel cycle.

"The nuclear fuel cycle at the laboratory level has been completed and uranium with the desired level of enrichment for nuclear power plants was produced on [April 9] of the current year, the year [2006], by our young scientists," he said.

Ahmadinejad added, however, that the technology is for peaceful purposes only, and that Iran does not need to use nuclear weapons as a source for its power. He said the Iranian people get their power from God.