Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Jalili, ElBaradei reaffirm Iranian transparency

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 12, IRNA
Iran-IAEA-ElBaradei
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili on Saturday reaffirmed transparency of Iranian nuclear program and the national resolve to remove the outstanding issues with the UN nuclear agency.

In a meeting with Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei, Saeedi said that Iran is keen on working with IAEA on the modality plan to settle the remaining issues.

ElBaradei said that Iran-IAEA cooperation is proceeding on due course and that actually "Iran is not an exception."

According to SNSC Secretariat, ElBaradei, for his part, expressed the hope that the remaining issues would be resolved before next IAEA Board of Governors meeting in March and the two parties would normalize relations until then.

He expressed the hope that through Iran's constructive cooperation with IAEA a breakthrough would be made.

Jalili said that Iran respects Non-Proliferation Treaty, IAEA Charter as the best paradigm for mutual cooperation.

While insisting on the fact that benefiting from nuclear energy is Iran's legitimate rights, Iran honors its commitments to the NPT, IAEA Charter and Safeguards, Jalili said.

Jalili said that Iran attaches importance to constructive role of IAEA as an international body which creates balance between nuclear rights and undertakings of the member states.

"Some powers try to create obstacles in IAEA's non-biased and professional methods in verifying Iran's nuclear activities and to downgrade the agency from its international status," he said.

Jalili reiterated that strengthening professional and impartial performance and non-political approach of the IAEA would help restore credibility of the agency.

He said that verification of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities will be in fact a test to examine faith of certain powers too.

"This will indicate whether or not transparency of Iran's nuclear program and substantiation of baselessness of their allegations would lead to a change in their political and illegal behavior."

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