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Iran: IAEA Draft resolution unacceptable for Tehran

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Vienna, June 17, IRNA -- The spokesman of Iran`s delegation at IAEA 
Hossein Mousavain announced here on Wednesday night, "IAEA`s 
second draft resolution on Iran`s peaceful nuclear activities is 
unacceptable for Iran." 
Speaking at a press conference after the third day meeting of 
the IAEA Board of Directors, Mousavian added, "Even if the third 
draft resolution, that is supposed to be presented by the EU to the 
board of governors, does not succeed in meeting Iran`s expectations, 
we will reject it." 
Touching on effects of the stands adopted recently by President 
Mohammad Khatami against the new position of the European big three 
in dealing with Iran`s nuclear programs, he said, "We feel the stands 
adopted by President Khatami and his firm remarks have led the members
of the IAEA board of governors to evaluate Iran`s viewpoints at the 
agency as quite serious stands." 
The Iranian official added, "I hope the effects of President 
Khatami`s remarks would be reflected in the third draft. 
Focussing on two major issues included both in the first and in 
the Second drafts against Iran`s will, the spokesman of the Iranian 
delegation said, "Expanding the dimensions of halting the uranium 
enrichment activities to include the activities related to the UCF 
plans, and the Arak heavy water power plant, is quite unacceptable 
for us." 
Mousavian also referred to Iran`s continuous and broad level 
cooperation with the agency, as well as the Islamic Republic`s full 
abidance by its formerly made commitments at the UN nuclear watchdog, 
arguing, "Thus, Iran righteously expects the agency to announce 
normalization of its relation with Iran quite soon." 
The Iranian official at the end emphasized, "IAEA must include a 
phrase on normalization of its ties with Iran in its resolution on 
Iran`s activities." 
Meanwhile, one of the spokesman of the IAEA announced here on 
Wednesday morning that the third draft resolution on Iran`s nuclear 
programs would probably be presented to the IAEA board of governors 
on Wednesday evening." 
The 35 countries of the IAEA Board of Directors have been 
surveying Iran`s nuclear file since IAEA Chief Muhamed Elbaradei`s 
Monday report on Iran`s nuclear programs, and trying to come to terms 
on the draft of a resolution on the issue. 
Iran`s president warned Wednesday that the Islamic republic could 
back away from key commitments over its nuclear programme if the UN 
atomic energy watchdog adopted a harsh European-drafted resolution. 
President Khatami said Iran would feel "no moral obligation" to 
maintain a suspension of uranium enrichment nor allow tougher 
inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency if Iran were 
slapped with yet more criticism. 
In Vienna, the US ambassador to the IAEA, Kenneth Brill, said 
these threats constitute intimidation and suggest that Iran has 
something to hide. 
But President Khatami did offer some reassurance by dismissing 
any immediate talk of quitting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 
"For the moment, we do not want to leave the NPT nor to stop 
applying the additional protocol," which gives inspectors more power, 
Khatami told reporters after a cabinet meeting. 
"But if the European resolution is adopted in its current form, 
that means the Europeans do not respect their obligations to us and 
we will not have any obligations to them," he said. 
"If this process continues, we will not have any moral obligation 
to continue the voluntary suspension of enrichment," Khatami warned, 
describing the British-French-German draft as "very bad". 
Khatami, however, said Iran would not capitulate to calls for it 
to cease all fuel cycle activities, saying "we will not accept a 
resolution that is illegal." 
"We are determined to continue our program to master civil nuclear
technology and to master the nuclear fuel cycle," he asserted. 
In return for Iranian compliance with a string of IAEA demands, 
the Europeans promised to help wrap up the investigation in Iran`s 
favor, and to cooperate with Iran in pursuing its nuclear activities. 
In contrast, the United States wants the IAEA to send the Iranian 
dossier to the Security Council but does not have support for this on 
the agency`s board. 
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