Azerbaijan, Baku, 20 August / Trend corr.G.Ahmadova, T.Jafarov / The visit of Olli Heinonen, Deputy General Secretary in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on safeguards, to Iran is due to the meeting of the UN General Assembly and annual summit of IAEA Board in September.
"Heinonen's visit to Tehran is to establish a closer working safeguards relationship with Iranian officials in advance of the IAEA report to its Board on 22 September," Paul Ingram, Executive Director of British American Security Information Council (BASIC), told Trend via a telephone from London.
According to the information released by Iranian IRNA news agency, on 18 August, Heinonen together with several experts paid the fourth visits to Teheran to hold talks with officials of Iranian Atom Energy Organization.
According to British expert, there remain some outstanding issues relating to the Workplan agreed between Iran and the Agency a year ago designed to clear up suspicions around Iran's nuclear program, and to answer questions that pointed suspicion over its intentions.
Ingrab believes that the West has currently focused on supposed weaponization studies, evidence for which has caused bitter friction between Iran and the Agency earlier this year.
Hasan Abidini, Iranian political expert and director of the Al-Alem news channel, told Trend that Teheran attempts to separate political and juridical aspects in the uranium enrichment program for a long period.
According to Abidini, Iran has answered to the UN six questions, which were agreed with IAEA.
The UN General Assembly and annual summit of IAEA Board is scheduled for September. The talks between Iran and IAEA regarding the uranium enrichment program have become more intimated close to the summit.
" Iran discusses the technical and juridical issues of uranium enrichment program with IAEA, but the political issues have been discussing by P5+ 1," Abidini said via a telephone from Teheran.
Heinonen's visit to Teheran is attached to continue the discussions with the Agency regarding the technical and juridical issues of Iranian uranium enrichment program.
Heinonen holds continuous discussions with all country-members of the Safeguards against the nuclear armament, and Iran is one of these countries.
Hossein Lajeverdi, French based expert on international relations, stated that Heinonen's visit to Iran is to submit the annual report to General Assembly and UN Council of Security. According to Lejeverdi, UN Council of Security develops a Resolution on Iranian enrichment program on the base of the IAEA's report.
"Heinonen visited Iran in order to complete the report," Lajeverdi, chairman of the Iranian Research Association, told Trend via a telephone from London.
Lajeverdi said that Teheran has increased the number of centrifuges and intends to build a atom station, and the next report by IAEA will not in favor of Iran.
"At present, there are several parallel processes in train at the present time. Iran and the P5+1 group traded proposals on which there are indications that both sides are negotiating. The United States accused Iran earlier in August of missing their deadline to respond to their latest offer, and fear that Iran is simply buying time whilst developing their enrichment program and waiting for the Bush Administration to finish,' Ingram said.
"The Iranians appear now to be assertively confident that they can ride whatever new sanctions may be thrown in their direction. Talks continue between the EU and Iran." British expert said.
IAEA Board unites 35 states.
Heinonen paid two day visit to Teheran and held discussions regarding the Safeguards cooperation between Iran and IAEA.
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