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Asefi says Iran examining how to continue cooperation with IAEA

IRNA

Tehran, Sept 14, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi 
said here on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is examining how to 
continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA) for what he said was the poor performance of the agency. 
Asefi told reporters in his weekly press briefing that the related
organizations are currently studying how to continue cooperation with 
IAEA, adding that the results of this study will be announced later. 
"The Islamic Republic from the beginning had declared that the IAEA
must act professionally and had warned the agency not to enter a 
political game," he said. 
"However, the agency has been regretfully misused by certain 
Western states, particularly the US, and the process of debates and 
the behind-the-scene lobbies showed that Iran`s warnings were right 
and that the IAEA has overlooked its professional work and has entered
political bickering." 
The IAEA Board of Governors last Friday set an October 31 deadline
for Iran to prove it is pursuing peaceful nuclear programs. 
The resolution that was submitted by Canada, Japan and Australia 
also calls on Tehran to clarify its nuclear program by the end of 
October and to suspend its uranium enrichment program. 
Asefi said the fact that the resolution had been passed by the 
IAEA Board of Governors without taking votes showed that the 
atmosphere in the meeting had not been natural. 
"The efforts by the US and certain Western states show that they 
want to deprive Iran of its natural and legitimate right to acquire 
nuclear technology," he said. 
"The Islamic Republic cannot overlook this natural and legitimate 
right, but the measure by the IAEA created very serious doubts about 
its performance." 
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said 
Japan, Canada and Australia had taken a very improper step to submit 
the resolution against Iran, stressing that Tehran would give the 
suitable response by using the due diplomatic capacities. 
Answering a question on Russia`s position toward the IAEA 
anti-Iran resolution, Asefi said the position of all countries toward 
the issue is not equal, and that Tehran will adopt an appropriate 
consideration according to the position of each country. 
"Russia will not side with the Western countries, but its 
positions were not the same that we expected.... They had their own 
reasoning for the decision they made," he said. 
"Russia will continue its cooperation with Iran in building the 
Bushehr nuclear power plant, and this shows that Moscow is abiding by 
its commitments toward Tehran." 
AA/210 
End