Jalili: S.Leader’s Edict Provides Big Capacity For Disarmament

Tehran, May 22, IRNA – Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said on Monday that the edict of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei provides a platform for disarmament and Tehran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. “Iran’s approach opposing nuclear arms provides an important capacity for the IAEA; Iran will have active cooperation with the IAEA in disarmament, campaign against weapons of mass destruction and peaceful use of nuclear energy,” said Jalili in a meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. He said the IAEA should be an international institution to which the members should refer to protect their rights. “Iran has had an active partnership with IAEA in terms of the member states’ rights and duties and is ready to help promote the IAEA status. Defending rights of the member states would help upgrade the IAEA status.” He noted that framework of cooperation with the IAEA should serve as a logical base and in defense of the member states’ rights. “To this end, Iran will support efforts for IAEA promotion and independence; Iran considers IAEA’s independence and promotion as a factor which would prevent violation of the member states’ rights,” he added. He recalled Washington's excuse to invade Iraq in 2003 for possessing weapons of mass destruction and the said that the IAEA’s opposition to the US false claim over Iraq helped the Agency steer clear of Washington so that the UN Agency's officials could not be considered as accomplice to the crimes committed by the US statesmen in Iraq. Jalili said Hiroshima culprits, who are still continuing producing and stockpiling nuclear weapons, can not claim campaign against nuclear weapons. Amano, for his part, praised Iran’s civilization and culture and the progress Iran has made in science and technology and hoped that Iran’s potentials and capacity will be used in the future for materialization of the IAEA objectives./end