RUSSIA: As Iran starts up nuclear plant head of U.N. nuclear watchdog Yukiya Amano demands compliance

Record ID: 313760

  • Title: RUSSIA: As Iran starts up nuclear plant head of U.N. nuclear watchdog Yukiya Amano demands compliance
  • Date: 27th October 2010
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 26, 2010 ) (REUTERS) U.N. NUCLEAR AGENCY HEAD YUKIYA AMANO AND OFFICIALS ENTER NEWS CONFERENCE RUSSIA AND UNITED NATIONS FLAGS ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. NUCLEAR AGENCY HEAD YUKIYA AMANO, SAYING: "My responsibility is to implement other safeguard agreements, comprehensive safeguard agreements and other safeguard-related obligations such as Security Council resolutions." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. NUCLEAR AGENCY HEAD YUKIYA AMANO, SAYING : "These agreements and resolutions should be implemented but unfortunately the record of implementation is not sufficient." PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. NUCLEAR AGENCY HEAD YUKIYA AMANO, SAYING : "Therefore I am requesting Iran to take concrete steps, concrete measures towards the full implementation of these obligations." BRIEFING UNDERWAY
  • Embargoed: 11th November 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVAC3DP9FI5ME3RPIZ8VDVICO6D9
  • Story Text: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog urged Iran on Tuesday (October 26) to take "concrete steps" to allay international concerns about its disputed nuclear programme.
    "My responsibility is to implement other safeguard agreements , comprehensive safeguard agreements and other safeguard- related obligations such as Security Council resolutions," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Amano told reporters in Moscow.
    "These agreements and resolutions should be implemented but unfortunately the record of implementation is not sufficient," he continued, adding, "Therefore I am requesting Iran to take concrete steps, concrete measures toward the full implementation of these obligations."
    Six global powers have proposed revived talks with Iran on restraining its nuclear programme and opening it up fully to IAEA scrutiny in exchange for trade and diplomatic benefits.
    Iran has not formally responded to the offer.
    Tehran says it is enriching uranium strictly for electricity generation. But Western nations fear this is a front for the pursuit of nuclear weapons, noting Iran's track record of concealing sensitive enrichment-related activity from the IAEA.
    The Islamic Republic has persistently rejected international calls to scale down or stop its enrichment of uranium, a key ingredient in nuclear arms, and has not formally responded to an offer of talks in Vienna on Nov. 15-17.
    Iran's relations with the IAEA have become tenser since Amano took office late last year because he has adopted a blunter approach than predecessor Mohamed ElBaradei, for example by stating in a report that intelligence indicates Iran has sought to develop a nuclear-tipped missile.
    Iran earlier on Tuesday announced a key step toward putting its first nuclear power plant on-line, saying fuel was now being loaded into the core of the Russian-built facility near Bushehr.
    Both Iran and Russia say Bushehr poses no nuclear risk of nuclear weapons proliferation.
    The United States long urged Russia scrap the project, arguing it could help Tehran develop weapons. An agreement obliging Iran to return spent fuel to Russia eased U.S. concerns that the fuel could be reprocessed into bomb-grade plutonium.
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