SLOVENIA: Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Iran is fulfilling all its "duties" towards the U.N. atomic watchdog and favours continued nuclear talks with major powers

Record ID: 313683

  • Title: SLOVENIA: Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Iran is fulfilling all its "duties" towards the U.N. atomic watchdog and favours continued nuclear talks with major powers
  • Date: 12th July 2011
  • Summary: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (JULY 11, 2011) (REUTERS) VILLA PODROZNIK, VENUE FOR MEETING (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR SALEHI AND SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAMUEL ZBOGAR ARRIVING AND SHAKING HANDS IRANIAN, SLOVENIAN AND EU FLAGS SALEHI AND ZBOGAR ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR SALEHI SAYING: "As far as our nuclear programme is concerned we already said that we are in favour of talks and that we are interested in the dialogue continuing." IRANIAN JOURNALIST WRITING IN NOTEBOOK (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR SALEHI SAYING: "Our relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency are good." JOURNALIST WRITING IN NOTEBOOK (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR SALEHI SAYING: "The Agency inspectors are now stationed in Iran and regularly inspect our nuclear facilities. There have been a large number of inspections, no other country in history has had so many inspections of their nuclear facilities." JOURNALISTS ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR SALEHI SAYING: "We are member of the NPT (Non Proliferation Treaty) and we respect all our duties in that regard." JOURNALISTS ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE SALEHI AND ZBOGAR SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Slovenia, Slovenia
  • Country: Slovenia
  • Reuters ID: LVA39K8C972VQVEY2W2ZIZ1AC3G2
  • Story Text: Iran is fulfilling all its "duties" towards the U.N. atomic watchdog and favours continued nuclear talks with major powers, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Monday (July 11).
    "As far as our nuclear programme is concerned we already said that we are in favour of talks and that we are interested in the dialogue continuing," Salehi told a news conference in Slovenia where he was on a one-day visit.
    Salehi went on to say that Iran's nuclear facilities are the most inspected in the world.
    "The Agency inspectors are now stationed in Iran and regularly inspect our nuclear facilities. There have been a large number of inspections, no other country in history has had so many inspections of their nuclear facilities," he said.
    Salehi is due to meet U.N. nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano on Tuesday (July 12), who has repeatedly urged Iran to step up cooperation with the Vienna-based agency and help address international concerns about Tehran's nuclear work.
    Western powers suspect Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Tehran rejects the charge, saying its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity.
    Salehi's meeting with Amano coincides with increasingly strained ties between Iran and the IAEA, which says Iran has failed to address concerns that the country may be working to develop a nuclear-armed missile.
    Amano last week said he was "quite concerned" over plans announced in June by the Islamic Republic to triple production capacity of higher-grade enriched uranium, material which can have both military and civilian purposes.
    Amano, who has taken a blunter approach towards Iran than his predecessor Mohamed ElBaradei, said during a visit to Bogota, Colombia on July 6 that further cooperation was needed to restore the confidence of the international community.
    Iran has accused Amano, who last month said the IAEA had received new information about possible military links to Tehran's nuclear programme, of taking orders from Washington.
    Iran's refusal to halt enrichment has led to four rounds of U.N. sanctions on the major oil producer, as well tighter U.S. and European Union restrictions.
    World powers failed to make any progress in two rounds of talks with Iran half a year ago and no new meetings have been announced, leaving the diplomatic track apparently deadlocked.
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