Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expected to have a “free and open” discussion of nuclear issues when he meets with United Nations Security Council members next week, but he said he will not negotiate on Iran’s nuclear program and denied his country was building nuclear weapons.

In an interview with the Associated Press on the eve of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting Wednesday, the controversial leader also encouraged the US to consider the benefits of befriending Iran.

Meanwhile, people in New York and around the world prepared to protest Mr. Ahmadinejad. Israel urged heads of state to boycott the president’s speech at the UN for his periodic claims that the Holocaust didn’t happen.

Ahmadinejad told the AP that Mr. Obama should consider the “opportunities” that come with befriending Iran.

"Mr. Obama is not the first president here who believes Iran is a threat. We would appreciate it if you could advise him to revisit history and read it again to see what the fate is of viewing these problems from this perspective. Historically, whoever made friends with Iran saw a lot of opportunities."

(Read more quotes from Ahmadinejad’s interview here.)

He also said he would ask for leniency for three American hikers detained in Iran after crossing the border from Iraq. He said the United States’ decision to shelve a missile defense shield in Europe, aimed at defending long-range Iranian missiles, was "a respectful way of buying out" Russian objections.

"I heard Mr. Obama saying the next threat is Iran. Iran is an opportunity for everyone," Ahmadinejad said.

Diplomats, scholars, and Iranian expatriates are already making plans to boycott and protest Ahmadinejad’s appearances in New York. According to NPR, some academics who normally attend an annual gathering with the Iranian president decided to stay away this year after the harsh government crackdown on protesters following Iran’s disputed election. The opposition says at least 72 people were killed, and hundreds more have been detained.

Agence France-Presse reports that Israel has asked heads of state and their delegations at the General Assembly not to attend Ahmadinejad’s address Wednesday evening. In the AP interview, Ahmadinejad once again questioned the Holocaust, though did not repeat the outright denial that has become his trademark.

Meanwhile, thousands of Iranians are heading to New York to protest Ahmadinejad and his government’s response to post-election demonstrations, reports the Wall Street Journal. It is expected to be the largest demonstration of Iranians in exile since the Islamic Revolution, according to the newspaper.

Protesters are being bused in for minimal charge from around the New York area. A group of Iranian-Canadians are biking from Toronto to New York to protest. Many Iranian families in the New York area have opened their homes to those who can't afford hotels.

Petitions have been circulating that urge hotels not to host Mr. Ahmadinejad and his entourage, and Iranians have bombarded his translator with emails asking her not to work for him. …

For those who can't make the trip to New York, similar protests are planned in other cities, including Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The US will join Britain, Germany, France, Russia, and China in meeting with Iran’s top nuclear negotiator next week.