Larijani says enrichment suspension a "political" decision
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Vienna, Feb 21, IRNA
Larijani-Nuclear-Suspension
Iran's top nuclear negotiator said here Tuesday that suspension of uranium enrichment was a political and not a technical decision.
"Iran does not regard suspension of uranium enrichment as a most important issue," the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) told reporters following talks with Director-General of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei.
Larijani arrived in Vienna Tuesday for talks with the director general and European officials.
He pointed out that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory, does not talk about suspension of enrichment activities.
"Nowhere in the NPT can one find a chapter on suspension. Rather, it talks about monitoring and inspections."
He said IAEA inspectors are currently supervising Iran's nuclear activities and there are "no problems in this regard."
"Political decisions have nothing to do with the IAEA," he said.
Earlier, Larijani had conferred with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana by phone as well as with Belgian Foreign Minister Karl de Gucht, who is the head of the UN Security Council's Sanctions Committe.
Larijani said he also talked with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Munich, Germany.
"We had useful talks discussing how negotiations can be resumed.
We believe that referring Iran's case to the UNSC was uncalled for as a negotiated settlement can be found within the IAEA.
"Different sides are interested in resumption of talks. We have a positive view to the move," Larijani said.
He said all parties were agreed that for Iran to inform the agency of all its future nuclear activities according to an agreed timetable would be most appropriate.
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