Iran agrees to act on nuclear cooperation after IAEA talks-IRNA
9 February 2014, 18:31
Iran has agreed to take seven practical, preliminary measures on nuclear cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by May 15, the country said in a joint statement with the UN nuclear watchdog on Sunday.
In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency and issued after two days of what were described as 'constructive technical talks' in Tehran, Iran and the IAEA did not spell out what the measures were, but said full details of the planned steps would be reported to the governors of the UN agency by the watchdog's director-general.
Iran has agreed to give the UN nuclear agency information and explanations about so-called exploding bridge wire detonators, the IAEA said on Sunday, as part of its investigation into suspicionsTehran may have carried out atomic bomb research.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that seven steps that Iran had agreed to implement by May 15 also included inspector access to the Saghand uranium mine.
Iran agreed 'seven practical steps' with IAEA
Iran agreed on Sunday seven more 'practical steps' with the UN nuclear watchdog in talks seeking further safeguards to enhance transparency on Tehran's nuclear drive, an Iranian nuclear official said. 'Seven more practical steps in regards to cooperation with the (International Atomic Energy) Agency was agreed' that need to be implemented by May 15, Iran's envoy to the Vienna-based body, Reza Najafi, told the ISNA news agency.
The remarks reported by Iranian media were attributed to a joint statement that came after two days of talks between five IAEA experts and Iranian nuclear officials led by Najafi.
No elements of the deal were publicised and Najafi reportedly said IAEA director general Yukiya Amano would brief the agency's board of governors.
There was also no mention whether discussions had broached long-standing allegations that prior to 2003, and possibly since, Iran's nuclear work had 'possible military dimensions' as suspected by the IAEA.
Describing the talks however, Najafi said 'constructive technical meetings' had assessed 'the progress in implementation of practical steps' that was required of Iran under a framework deal agreed on November 11.
The deal required Tehran to take six practical steps that included visits to the unfinished site of a so-called heavy water research reactor in Arak and a uranium mine in the south.
Also required from Iran was information on future research reactors, identifying sites of new nuclear power plants, and clarification on Iranian statements regarding additional enrichment facilities and laser enrichment technology.
Western powers and Israel suspect that Iran's nuclear drive masks military objectives, a claim Tehran repeatedly denies.
The November deal, struck after two years of on-off talks, was separate from a landmark agreement reached with world powers the same month that has placed temporary curbs on Iran's nuclear activities.
Voice of Russia, dpa, AFP
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