IAEA director general arrives in Tehran for nuclear talks

TEHRAN, May 21 (MNA) - International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano arrived in Tehran early Monday for nuclear talks with Iranian officials including Tehran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Before his arrival in Tehran Amano told reporters, “I really think this is the right time to reach agreement. Nothing is certain but I stay positive." Amano added "good progress" had already been made. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi had said he hoped an agreement would be reached to devise a “new modality” between Iran and the IAEA during Amano’s visit. The IAEA supervisor’s visit to Tehran comes two days before Iran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) officially resume talks in Baghdad. “Iran had previously invited IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano to make a trip to Iran, but he decided to travel to Tehran and hold talks with our country’s officials before the Baghdad talks,” Salehi said. “We regard the visit by the agency’s director general as a gesture of goodwill,” Salehi stated. “The focus will be on the issue of modality and a new working modality to help clear up the ambiguities and (answer) the agency’s questions. And we hope that an agreement will be reached between both sides to devise a new modality.” Both Iran and the IAEA were upbeat after a new round of talks in Vienna last week. "We need to keep up the momentum. There has been good progress during the recent round of discussions between Iran and the IAEA," Reuters quoted Amano as saying.