Russian envoy praises Iran's transparency to IAEA

VIENNA, September 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian envoy to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) praised Iran for letting the
inspectors of the agency inspect its nuclear facilities and providing
information on nuclear research and expressed hope Iran will continue to
embark on the transparency course.
"We believe it important that Iran accepted the calls of the IAEA and
provided a possibility for experts of the agency to inspect the
construction of the heavy-water IR 40 reactor and the facility for the
production of heavy water in Arak as well as the enterprise for the
production of new-generation centrifuges. It is also important that Iran
provided to the agency additional information regarding future scientific
research to improve centrifuge technologies, as well as the history of the
construction and the initial designation of the uranium-enrichment
facility in Qum," Grigory Berdennikov said on Thursday.
"The transparency measures go beyond the framework of Iran's
commitments stipulated by the agreement on guarantees with the IAEA," he
added.
"We hope Tehran will continue the course towards additional
transparency measures that would allow to reach a new and deeper level of
interaction with the agency and take practical steps towards a
comprehensive settlement of the situation around Iranian nuclear program.
We believe it is important that Iran resumes the implementation of the
additional protocol to the IAEA agreement on guarantees and informs the
agency in advance about the construction of nuclear facilities and
clarifies 'planned research' that can be of military designation and
fulfills the UN Security Council and IAEA resolutions," Berdennikov said
adding Russia sees no alternative to the political and diplomatic
settlement of the situation with Iranian nuclear program.