The Islamic Republic is ready to answer all questions by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the country's nuclear energy program, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi said, Iranian Press TV reported on Feb. 7.
Iran and the UN nuclear body are set to discuss "future cooperation" in the next round of talks, Kamalvandi said, adding that, "As we have already announced, we are ready to answer all questions about our peaceful nuclear activities."
He went on to say that under a joint statement signed between Tehran and the IAEA, six issues were scheduled to be discussed in the first phase of bilateral cooperation. He said two of the issues concerned visits to the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine, which were carried out by the IAEA inspectors on December 8, 2013, and January 29 respectively.
He said that Iran has already presented required information on three of the four remaining issues and is set to offer information on the last issue to the IAEA in the next few days.
"The measures were set to be carried out in a three-month term ending on February 9. After this date, we will study how to continue cooperation with the IAEA. The IAEA will of course give its opinion about the six issues in this period," he said.
Representatives of Iran and the IAEA are set to hold talks on February 8 to discuss future cooperation between the two sides.
Iran and the UN nuclear body signed a joint statement in November 2013 to outline a roadmap on bilateral cooperation on certain outstanding issues.
Under the deal, Iran agreed, on a voluntary basis, to allow the IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine.
The IAEA Safeguards Agreement does not require Tehran to authorize IAEA inspections of those sites. The voluntary move is a goodwill gesture on the part of Iran to clear up ambiguities over the peaceful nature of its nuclear energy program.