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Iran starts third round of cooperation with IAEA

Iran Materials 19 August 2014 17:05 (UTC +04:00)
Iranian permanent envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi says the third round of cooperation between Iran and the agency has started.
Iran starts third round of cooperation with IAEA

Iranian permanent envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi says the third round of cooperation between Iran and the agency has started.

The cooperation is in line with the agreement of the 'framework for cooperation', which has already been signed by head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Chief Yukiya Amano, the country's ISNA news agency reported on Aug. 19.

Najafi said parts of the five-step plan have started and other parts would be accomplished as well.

Asked about whether Iran is satisfied with the IAEA view on detonators, he said, "when a statement is released at the level of director general, it can be cited and it is valid as the senior official of the agency. On the other hand, the director general said in the statement that the IAEA's demands for secure detonator have been met. Off course, we expected more, but we believe that the issue is close."

The official also said technical talks with the IAEA would never stop.

The UN nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano made a day-long visit to Tehran on Aug. 17 and held talks with senior Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and head of the Atomic Energy Organization Salehi.

Amano described the trip to Iran as "short but a useful visit" which was his first since the signature of the "Joint Statement on a Framework for Cooperation" last November.

Iran and the IAEA signed the joint statement on November 11, 2013 to outline a roadmap on mutual cooperation on certain outstanding nuclear issues.

The IAEA chief further said that during his talks with Iranian officials, the two sides discussed ways to move ahead with the existing practical measures including the five measures from 20 May.

"We have proposed discussions on a number of new practical measures, to be taken up as the next step under the Framework for Cooperation. I hope these can take place in the near future," Amano added.

On May 20, Iran and the IAEA held a technical meeting within the Framework for Cooperation agreed between the two sides in November 2013.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress that had been made on the seven practical measures that had been agreed on February 9, including Iran providing information on Exploding Bridge Wire (EBW) detonators.

"Iran has provided information and explanations to the Agency on Iran's decision, in early 2000, to develop safer detonators. Iran has also provided information and explanations to the Agency on its work post-2007 related to the application of EBW's in the oil and gas industry which is not inconsistent with specialized industry practices," the IAEA's statement said.

It added that the agency would review all past outstanding issues, including EBWs, and assess them in an integrated system as a whole.

Amano emphasized that the IAEA would remain committed to working with Iran through the implementation of the "Framework for Cooperation."

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