IAEA to visit Gachin uranium mine soon: Salehi
Iran Press TV
Tue Dec 24, 2013 2:9PM GMT
The Iranian nuclear chief says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors will soon visit the Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said the exact date of the inspection, however, has not been determined yet.
"Inspection of the Gachin mine is in fact the implementation of one of the six articles of the recent agreement between Iran and the IAEA," Salehi said, adding, "The agency's request to visit the Arak heavy water facility, which was carried out recently, was [also] among the articles of the agreement."
The AEOI head noted that experts from Iran and the UN nuclear agency are scheduled to discuss ways to proceed with the implementation of the agreement in late January.
In November, Iran and the IAEA agreed on a roadmap based on which Iran would, on a voluntary basis, allow IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas, in southern Iran, despite the fact that Tehran is under no such obligation to do so under the Safeguards Agreement.
The voluntary move is a goodwill gesture on the part of Iran to clear up ambiguities over the peaceful nature of its nuclear energy program.
Salehi further expressed hope that Iran's move to accept the agency's requests would lead to the IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano's more positive reports about Tehran's nuclear energy program in the future.
"We intend to continue this approach to build mutual confidence and for the cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to complement political talks between Iran and the P5+1 [group of six major world powers]," Salehi pointed out.
Salehi further announced Iran's plan to produce medical isotopes at the Arak heavy water plant and expressed hope that the country would succeed in taking greater steps towards producing medical equipment.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence showing that Iran's civilian nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian purposes.
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