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IAEA-Iran Talks Result in “Understanding” Over Additional Protocol
A senior Iranian official has said that talks between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have resulted in an “understanding” that could lead to Iran complying with international demands to allow more intrusive IAEA monitoring of its nuclear facilities, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Oct. 17). After two days of “intensive negotiations” with the IAEA this weekend, Iran “now has a more positive stance” toward signing the Additional Protocol to its agency safeguards agreement, said Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s representative to the IAEA. “We found a mutual understanding. We had indicated some ambiguities, and in the course of our discussions the ambiguities were removed,” Salehi said. He also said that Tehran could make a decision on signing the Additional Protocol in “a matter of days or weeks” (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Oct. 20). IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said Thursday that he had worked during last week’s meeting with Iranian officials to reassure them that the additional protocol would not infringe on Iranian sovereignty. “I made it very clear that the protocol is simply an instrument we need, to make sure that all nuclear activities in a country, Iran or otherwise, are dedicated for peaceful purposes,” ElBaradei said. “I think they were happy to hear that,” he added. ElBaradei also said that he was hopeful Iran would fully comply with an Oct. 31 deadline to demonstrate greater transparency over its nuclear program. “We’ve been here for a year, the credibility of this verification system requires that by that time we need to have all the information,” he said. “I will not compromise on the need for Iran to come with the full story, comprehensive information, in the next couple of weeks and I was assured that this was going to happen, that they will come forward, and we’ll see,” ElBaradei added (BBC News, Oct. 16). Iran suggested yesterday that it might end its uranium-enrichment program if allowed to maintain a civilian nuclear program, according to USA Today. “We will do whatever is necessary to solve the problems, and in return, we’re expecting our rights to be preserved, which is (the right) to have nuclear technology,” Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said (Barbara Slavin, USA Today, Oct. 20). Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom are scheduled to arrive in Tehran tomorrow for talks with Khatami on Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian sources said. The three European officials were unlikely to travel to Tehran unless they were able to obtain a firm Iranian commitment to comply with the IAEA Oct. 31 deadline, sources said (Agence France-Presse, Oct 20). Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said the three European officials were traveling to Iran at Tehran’s invitation. “Since the foreign ministers of Germany, Britain and France have sent us a letter showing their inclination to cooperate with us, we have decided on a constructive dialogue,” Asefi said. “It is possible in the coming days that this will reach a higher level — so we have invited to Iran the three foreign ministers to give their points of view,” he said (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Oct. 19).
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