Good atmosphere prevailed in Tehran talks: UN nuclear chief

TEHRAN, May 22 (MNA) -- International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano said in Tehran on Monday that good atmosphere prevailed in his talks with Iranian officials. Amano, who had traveled to Tehran for a one-day visit, made the remarks after a two-hour meeting with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, who is the country’s chief nuclear negotiator. The Iranian ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, participated in the meeting. IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards Herman Nackaerts and Assistant Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi accompanied Amano during his first trip to Iran since he assumed the post on December 1, 2009. Amano told reporters that he had held extensive and intensive talks with Iranian officials in good atmosphere, adding that he is committed to helping resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program through dialogue. A range of issues, including nuclear disarmament, peaceful use of nuclear energy, and cooperation between Iran and the agency, were discussed, he stated. Iranian and IAEA officials also discussed the need to adopt a systematic approach, he said, adding that there are things left to be done. However, this cannot prevent the talks from continuing, Amano added. The IAEA director general went on to say that the progress of talks between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog will definitely have a positive effect on the next round of talks between Tehran and the six major powers. Of course, these are two different issues, but they can underpin each other. Tehran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) held a new round of talks in Istanbul on April 14, breaking a 15-month hiatus in talks, and agreed to meet again in Baghdad on May 23. Asked why the IAEA is not seeking to devise a modality to help clear up ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear activities quickly, Amano said that he would not go into details, but the agency has some viewpoints and Iran has its own specific viewpoints.