Iran-IAEA One More Step Toward New Modality

Vienna, Dec 15, IRNA – 7th round of talks between Iran and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was held in Tehran on Thursday and both sides said there was progress in the talks. IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts, who headed the 7-strong man delegation in this round of talks, upon his arrival in Vienna on Friday, accepted that there was progress in the talks. Tehran also called 7th round of talks 'constructive' 8th round of talks has been scheduled to be held in Tehran on January 16, 2013. Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who was representing Iran in IAEA for many years in Vienna, proposed compiling a new modality for the first time. During his visit to Vienna on July 2011, and in meeting with Director General Yukiya Amano, Salehi proposed that if the agency declares modality of August 2007 completed, then Iran would be ready to start negotiations to compile a new modality for alledged studies. Nackaerts, who usually headed negotiating team of the IAEA with Iran, paid a 5-day visit to Iran in August 2011. During this 5-day, Nackaerts and his assistants visited Bushehr power plant, enrichment installations of Natanz and Fordoo, nuclear installations in Isfahan including plants producing nuclear fuel rods and heavy water research reactor in Arak and a plant to produce heavy water in the same city. Iran to show its goodwill, in an unprecedented move issued authorization for the delegation to visit research and development site for progressive centrifuges. Nackaerts again came back to Iran in February 2012 to hold the first round of talks with Iran in a 3-day visit. Three weeks later, he came to Tehran for the second round of talks between Iran and IAEA in a 2-day visit. Nackaerts accompanying Yukiya Amano paid a one-day visit to Tehran on May 21, 2012 and the aim of all these visits was to prepare a new modality to settle remaining issues. Again, he headed the negotiating team of the IAEA with Iran on Thursday December 13, 2012, for talks aiming to compile a new modality, which will determine how Iran and IAEA should settle possible military dimension of the issue. Experts believe that Iran and the IAEA agreement in this round of talks indicates that achievement of the new modality is not too far./end