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UN atomic watchdog urges Iran to cooperate; says little progress on nuclear verification

12 June 2006 – The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world body’s nuclear watchdog, has made little progress in verifying Iran’s nuclear programme, according to its latest report, which comes as the Agency again calls on the Islamic Republic to cooperate to resolve the international dispute over its nuclear ambitions.

In a statement to the IAEA Board, which is meeting today in Vienna, the Agency’s Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, says that the report “makes it clear that the Agency has not made much progress in resolving outstanding verification issues.”

“I would continue to urge Iran to provide the cooperation needed to resolve these issues. I remain convinced that the way forward lies through dialogue and mutual accommodation among all concerned parties.”

Mr. ElBaradei also welcomed the recent efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement “that would address the need of the international community to establish confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme, while also simultaneously addressing Iran’s security, technology and economic needs.”

The report, entitled Implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran, covers developments on the issue since April.

Last week, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that European Union-led talks with Iran over its nuclear ambitions had got off to a “reasonably good start,” and he was hopeful that this time it will lead to serious negotiations where all the parties will find themselves at the table.

The IAEA has repeatedly called on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, the condition set by the United States for joining in the discussions with the Islamic Republic aimed at ensuring its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.

Iran says its activities are aimed at the production of energy but the United States and other countries insist it is clandestinely seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Last August, Iran rescinded its voluntary suspension of nuclear fuel conversion, which can produce the enriched uranium necessary either for nuclear power generation or for nuclear weapons.

The IAEA Board meeting, which will run from today until Friday, will also discuss various other Agency issues, including those related to nuclear safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), something that Mr. ElBaradei also raised in his opening statement.

Noting that verification issues in the DPRK were terminated at the end of 2002, at the request of the Government, he said that the Agency “has been unable to draw any conclusions regarding the DPRK’s nuclear activities,” but remains ready to work toward a diplomatic solution.

“I continue to believe in the importance and urgency of finding a negotiated solution to the current situation. The Agency stands ready to work with the DPRK – and with all others – towards a solution that addresses the needs of the international community to ensure that all nuclear activities in the DPRK are exclusively for peaceful purposes, as well as addressing the security and other needs of the DPRK,” Mr. ElBaradei said.