Brazil's defense minister denied Tuesday that his country was blocking U.N. inspections of its nuclear enrichment facilities.

"Brazil accepts inspections," Jose Viegas told reporters. "What we have to negotiate are the specific characteristics of the safeguard agreement."

Viegas made his remarks in response to comments by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed El Baradei carried in newspapers Tuesday. He said that Brazil must allow access to the uranium enrichment plant or stand in violation of international treaties.

Although Brazil signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1997 and said its nuclear program has purely peaceful objectives, questions about its commitment have simmered for more than a year.

The government earlier this month confirmed that IAEA inspectors were denied access in February and March to centrifuges at the facility in Resende, some 60 miles southwest of Rio.

It cited the need to protect industrial secrets and said the centrifuges were, and will remain, off-limits for visual inspection.

The centrifuges are used to enrich uranium so it can be used for fuel in nuclear reactors and potentially in bombs.