‘Decision to hold new talks with IAEA shows Iran's transparency’

TEHRAN, April 29 (MNA) - The Iranian ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Tehran’s decision to hold a new round of talks with the UN nuclear watchdog illustrates the transparent nature of the country’s nuclear activities. Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh made the remarks during an interview with the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency published on Saturday. “In line with the talks that were previously held in Tehran in January (29 to 31) and February (21 to 22), we agreed that another round of talks be held at (the office of) the Islamic Republic of Iran’s diplomatic mission to all international organizations, including the agency, in Vienna on May 14 and 15, which corresponds to Ordibehesht 25 and 26, with the aim of drawing up a modality to help answer and address a number of questions and claims and to prove that they (the claims) are baseless and that the country’s (nuclear) activities are peaceful,” Soltanieh stated. On Saturday, IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor confirmed that the meeting would take place from May 14 to 15 in Vienna, Reuters reported. “The purpose is to continue the negotiations started early this year,” Tudor said in an email. Soltanieh added, “The decision to hold negotiations with the IAEA deputy director general and head of the Department of Safeguards (Herman Nackaerts) and senior officials of technical, legal, and political departments of the agency in Ordibehesht in Vienna is another sign of the cooperative spirit of our country and the transparency of its nuclear activities.” “Iran has closely cooperated with the IAEA over the past years,” he said, adding, “During numerous inspections over these years, no evidence of diversion to military purposes has ever been found, and this itself proves that the peaceful nature of our country’s nuclear activities cannot be denied.” The documents proving this fact are on the website of the agency, Soltanieh stated. “However, unfortunately, certain Western countries have prevented this fact, which is based on documents, inspections, and the agency’s negotiations, from being reported through publishing diversionary reports,” he noted. “Islamic Iran, as a model, has shown that it will never relinquish its rights to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, such as enrichment activities, while abiding by its commitments,” the Iranian ambassador said in conclusion.