Amano: Iran Acting In Framework Of Its Geneva Agreement Commitments

Munich, Feb 3, IRNA – Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said here Sunday Iran is cooperating well with IAEA and performing its commitments in the framework of the Geneva nuclear agreement. Yokia Amano who was speaking on the last day of the Munich Security Conference made the comments in a special paneld discussion on the Iranian nuclear agreement and future talks aimed at reaching a final agreement. “The status of the Iranian nuclear activities and the country’s cooperation with the agency in the course of the past few months has changed,” he said. Amano welcomed Iran’s satisfactory cooperation with the IAEA and said that he was witness to the country’s positive move. “The agency and Iran are determined to resolve the entire remaining issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program through political ways and resorting to diplomatic solutions,” said the IAEA director general. On agency’s February 8th meeting with Iran, Amano said that efforts will be made to resolve the remaining issues and reach agreements in that second step of the total six steps that are to be taken within the given time. To a question on possible military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program, he said that it is hoped that quite a transparent approach will be adopted in that respect and if there still are undeclared facilities and activities, the IAEA would be able to have access to them. Amano also expressed hope that during the next round of negotiations between Iran and the G5+1 on February 18 in Vienna, too, the two sides will managed to reach agreement and the progress in those talks will lead to reaching a final agreement in early summer of 2014. He said that although the positive and encouraging progress is made, but there are still lots of hard work remaining to be done hoping that relying on transparent cooperation the whole remaining ambiguities will be clarified. Another participant in the panel discussion, Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, too, said that relying on full transparency on the Iranian nuclear program and the existence of good will on both sides, it is hoped that progress and achieving the final agreement are both possible. Referring to the great mistrust between two of the negotiating sides, Iran and the United States, which do not have diplomatic relations with each other, he said that in the years 2003 and 2010, too, reaching agreement was near at hand, but due to that lack of trust, the emerged opportunities were ruined. The Swedish top diplomat said that following the election of President Hassan Rouhani and thanks to his moderate policies, as well as the support of the Iranian Supreme Leader for the nuclear negotiators, today another good opportunity for resolving this problem and reaching a final agreement is at hand. Carl Bildt said that having a peaceful nuclear program is Iran’s legal right, adding that Iran needs to prove that is nuclear program is merely for peaceful purposes, while the western countries must prove that their only problem with Iran is making sure about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, and full lifting of the sanctions will take place after that. The Swedish top diplomat said that deeper talks with Iran regarding the regional developments, including Afghanistan, too, is possible; emphasizing that Iran itself is a victim of terrorism and the narcotic drugs coming from that country. Bildt said that he did not know whether a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program will be achieved, or not, adding: “But I can definitely say that if we would not do our best for achieving success and a final garment, we have then committed a crime.” The expert level panel discussion on Iran’s nuclear program, the Geneva agreement and negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement, was participated by the foreign ministers of Iran and Sweden, the IAEA director general, and US Senator Christopher Murphy on Sunday evening, the last day of the 50th Munich Security Conference. On the sidelines of the conference, John Kerry, US secretary of state, and his European counterparts met Javad Zarif, Iranian foreign minister, in a series of bilateral talks to discuss implementation of a final, complete deal that will supplant the interim agreement. Iran and the P5+1 powers – the permanent members of the UN security council plus Germany – must resolve all remaining differences over Iran’s enrichment program. Negotiations over a final deal will begin in Vienna on February 18, according to the P5+1’s lead negotiator, Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign affairs chief. Appearing on a panel, Zarif said the deal would “need to have options that are palatable to both sides” and warned that “illusions” persisted about Iran’s aims and capabilities. Iran had met its side of the bargain, he said, and the Iranian people were waiting to see that the west stuck to its side. “Believe me, the west does not possess the monopoly on mistrust,” Zarif said. The clock was set ticking on the final deal negotiations last month, when the International Atomic Energy Authority confirmed Iran had stopped enriching uranium above 5 percent and begun to dismantle its existing stockpile already enriched to 20 percent. Iran in return is to receive around $7bn of limited sanctions relief. The deal will see restrictions on insurance and other financial products related to crude oil exports lifted, as well as restrictions on the trade of precious metal, and also the unfreezing of $4.2bn in Iranian funds held by foreign central banks. The first tranche of unfrozen foreign funds – worth about $550m – was unfrozen and returned to Iran on Saturday./end