Iran Envoy To IAEA Calls For Close Co-op Between Tehran-Nuclear Watchdog

Vienna, Sept 14, IRNA – Irans new ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reza Najafi called for close cooperation between Tehran and the nuclear watchdog to work out an agreement on the modality. Addressing an IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Najafi thanked the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states for their continued support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. He further voiced Iran’s readiness to remove any ambiguities about its nuclear activities, stressing the general policy of Iran's President Hassan Rohani to develop constructive interactions with the world based on mutual trust. He reiterated that interaction is not a one-way road and the other side must be determined to interact with Iran too to find a negotiated end to the dispute. He welcomed the remarks made by the IAEA secretary- general in his opening speech that the agency is committed to resolve major issues about Iran’s nuclear program through diplomatic means. He stressed that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran will never give up its inalienable right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He dismissed claims about unlawful nuclear activities in Iran, saying that Tehran is ready to help remove these ambiguities on the conditions that the results of such a cooperation be reflected in the IAEA reports. On allegations made by Israeli representative against Iran, Najafi said that Israel tries to divert attention from its secret nuclear weapons program, advising the Zionist regime to join the NPT and open its nuclear weapons facilities to the IAEA inspections. As his closing remarks, the Iranian envoy stressed that Iran principally believed that developing and using mass destruction weapons is against Islamic teachings and thus has no place in the country's defense doctrine. He reiterated that Tehran strongly believed that possessing nuclear weapons could never guarantee real security for Iran or any other country./end