Iranian IAEA representative to visit Russia January 20-21
14:13 11/01/2011
MOSCOW, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltaniyyeh, will visit Russia on January 20-21, the Iranian ambassador to Moscow told the Fars news agency on Tuesday.
Ambassador Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said the visit is aimed at assuring Moscow that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful, contrary to the beliefs of many Western countries.
Earlier this month Soltaniyyeh invited representatives of the Iran Six (Russia, the United States, China, Britain, France and Germany), the EU and the G-77 on a tour of the Natanz enrichment facility and the Arak heavy-water reactor.
He said the invitation was part of Tehran's attempt to demonstrate "co-operation with the IAEA."
U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told the New York Times the offer was "a clever ploy."
The tour is planned ahead of a fresh round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program with the Iran Six, which is scheduled for January 21-22 in Istanbul, Turkey.
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