IRAN: Iran optimistic of avoiding further U.N. sanctions resolution over nuclear programme

Record ID: 313715

  • Title: IRAN: Iran optimistic of avoiding further U.N. sanctions resolution over nuclear programme
  • Date: 20th August 2007
  • Summary: (W3) TEHRAN, IRAN (AUGUST 20, 2007) (REUTERS) IRANIAN OFFICIALS AND IAEA DELEGATES AROUND CONFERENCE TABLE IRANIAN OFFICIALS INCLUDING MOHAMMAD SAEEDI (IRAN'S DEPUTY HEAD OF ATOMIC ENERGY ORGANISATION), JAVAD VAEEDI (DEPUTY OF IRAN'S CHIEF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR), AND ALI ASGHAR SOLTANIYEH (IRAN'S ENVOY TO THE IAEA) IAEA DELEGATION INCLUDING OLLI HEINONEN, INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR CLOSE OF SAEEDI, VAEEDI AND SOLTANIYEH CLOSE OF HEINONEN AND OTHER IAEA DELEGATES PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES OF IRANIAN OFFICIALS AND IAEA DELEGATES
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAAZGL5QFMZXO7NHRVYKE66YTBK
  • Story Text: Senior officials from Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meet in Tehran to discuss offer of more transparency in Iranian nuclear programme.
    Iran said on Monday (August 20) it expects the IAEA, the U.N.
    nuclear watchdog, to highlight Tehran's cooperation over its atomic plans in its next report that could determine whether it faces more U.N. sanctions.
    Senior officials from Iran and the IAEA are meeting for a third round of talks on Monday and Tuesday (August 21) to discuss Tehran's offer of more transparency, part of Iran's effort to ward off a third U.N. sanctions resolution.
    Iran, under U.N. pressure to suspend work the West suspects is aimed at assembling nuclear bombs, agreed in June to draft an "action plan"
    within 60 days to give the IAEA more access to atomic sites and resolve questions about the scope of its work.
    Two earlier rounds of negotiations were held in July and August.
    Mohammad Saeedi, deputy of head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, on Monday described those talks as "very good and constructive" but said discussions still had a long way to run.
    Western diplomats say Iran has known for years what issues need clearing up and Tehran may be buying time to delay more penalties. But some diplomats also say the IAEA needs time.
    "The talks in Tehran today and tomorrow will allow (us) to better assess the degree of cooperation of the Iranian side with the IAEA. Many of the old questions can be answered rather fast and that should now happen," said a senior European diplomat in Vienna, where the IAEA is based.
    An IAEA report is due out by early September. World powers have put off efforts to toughen sanctions at least until then.
    Iran insists its atomic work is aimed at making electricity so it can export more of its huge oil and gas resources.
    The current talks led by IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen and Iranian deputy nuclear negotiator Javad Vaeedi will tackle thorny issues such as the origin of traces of highly enriched -- or bomb-grade -- uranium found on some equipment and the status of research into advanced centrifuges used in enrichment.
    Enrichment, the part of Iran's programme that most worries the West, is a process for making fuel for nuclear power plants but could be used to make bomb material, if Iran wanted to.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register