Soltaniyeh: Some Iran-IAEA Differences Solved, Some Modality Articles Approved

Tehran, Feb 14, IRNA – Iranˈs permanent envoy at IAEA said here Wednesday at 1st session of Iran-agencyˈs talks some differences of opinion were solved, some modality articles were approved, and it was decided that new proposals made would be surveyed and results would be reported at next session. According to the Secretariat Office of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh made the announcement Wednesday night at the end of the first day of the 8th round Iranˈs talks about its peaceful nuclear program with the high-ranking delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, headed by the IAEA Deputy Secretary General Herman Nacartes. Soltaniyeh added, ˈExpert level negotiations with the eight-member IAEA delegation, headed by deputy agency secretary general on the modality, which is a framework for final solving of the claims made about the Iranian nuclear program were done in Tehran.ˈ After the talks at the SNSC, a final round of first day talks was held at Iran Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Wednesday night. Like the former round of talks, the heads of the two sides in this 8th round, too, were Soltaniyeh and Nacartes. Herman Nacartes arrived in Tehran for this sensitive round of talks on Wednesday morning as the head of a technical IAEA team. In previous round of talks in Tehran on January 15th the two sides agreed on the place and time of the 8th round, aimed at reaching a final agreement at it on the modality. Nacartes had at a press conference before the 7th round of talks announced that the agency expected to put to affect the established viewpoint in the final round of talks and expressed hope that during the upcoming round of talks Iran and the agency would devise the modality aimed at solving the entire remaining issues. Tehran, too, had evaluated the 7th round of talks with the agency as constructive and progressive. According to the reached agreement, it was agreed that the 8th round of talks would be held on February 15th in Tehran, but again the agreement on the new modality was not achieved. Although Nacartes announced upon return to Vienna that the talks between the agency and Iran would continue, but meanwhile he said that due to some differences of opinion in this round of talks we could no finalize the new modality. One of the major differences of opinion between Iran and the agency is over delivering the documents on the calms made against Iran, as Tehran believes the side who makes a claim must present documents for his claims. Tehran also believes that any type of modality must have a step by step approach, which means after finishing an issue dealing with the next should begin. Iran also believes that the agency must consider a ceiling for its questions and accept that if all those questions were answered no new question should be added to them. The next issue is that keeping in mind that cooperation in the field of the Possible Military Dimension (PMD) is neither in accordance with the nuclear NPT, not even in accordance with the protocol one of the duties of Iran, the agency must make clear in response to Iranˈs cooperation in that respect what equal reply to would give to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The next issue is related to Parchin. Iran believes in this respect that since the issue of the Parchin military felicities is beyond the NPT barriers, so long as the new modality is not finalized and signed inspecting that site is not possible. The other point is that in response to Moscowˈs proposal, Iran has clearly announced it would reply to the questions on PMD only after the entire unilaterally imposed sanctions of the western countries would be lifted. In fact Tehran has based on a proposal of Moscow linked the negotiations with the G5+1 with the talks with the agency, making conditional the first to the second. Therefore, in return for Iranˈs cooperation with the agency, it is the G5+1 that must prepare itself for giving concessions. At any rate, the most important difference of opinion is on weather after the end of the six issues related to the claims made about the possible military dimensions, would be willing to sum up the issue and refrain from proposing new questions? If the agency would not be willing to do so, then the question is: In response to which achievement should Iran cooperative with the agency over the most sensitive military issues? Some analysts argue that this is in fact beyond the will of the agency and it is the G5+1 that must provide the required political guarantees in this respect. In more clear words, since these negotiations are political and not legal, therefore Iran must gain the required bonuses and guarantees in the political field from the G5+1 so that it would be able to give concessions in return. Holding the 9th round of talks between Tehran and the agency on Wednesday can play a determining rile in this respect./end