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Mistrust major reason Iran does not allow talks with nuclear scientists

Nuclear Program Materials 27 May 2015 15:20 (UTC +04:00)

Tehran, Iran, May 27

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Iran has been resisting a demand by the group P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to hold interviews with its nuclear scientists.

The request comes within the requirements of the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which the powers want Iran to sign as part of so-called trust-building actions before reaching a comprehensive agreement on Iran 's nuclear program.

The Additional Protocol envisions meetings as well as question-and-answer sessions between IAEA officials and nuclear officials of member countries, things common around the world, former Iranian ambassador to the UN Ali Khorram told Trend May 27.

If Iran adopts the Additional Protocol, it means that IAEA officials would sometimes come to Iran to hold talks with Iranian officials, a thing that is mentioned in the protocol, according to Khorram.

But like any country, Iran also thinks of its national security and its national scientists, he said. Khorram then mentioned that for some reasons, Iran is not quite easy about such talks with its nuclear scientists.

Because allegedly Israel has killed four Iranian nuclear scientists, Iran will not look upon the interviews as quite natural, the former Iranian diplomat observed.

Elsewhere in the interview, Khorram answered in the affirmative whether the Iranian government is legally allowed to adopt the Additional Protocol for a short while.

On May 26, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the Iranian government could take on the protocol temporarily if backed by confirmation from the Supreme National Security Council and the Supreme Leader.

He had added that the parliament's approval is needed only for a permanent implementation of the protocol. Iranian MPs had previously said signing the protocol required their approval and they were not okay with doing so.

Also commenting on Western requests for an IAEA inspection of the Parchin military complex, Khorram said that Iran is rejecting the request because it has already had inspectors there two times.

Iran says enough is enough; but again, everything depends on the nature of Iran-IAEA relations. Therefore, Iran may allow inspections of the complex in the future, the former diplomat concluded.

Edited by CN

Follow the author on Twitter: @mehdisepahvand

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