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Designers of anti-Iran resolution behind IAEA decision to further cut cooperation with Iran: Iranian envoy

Iran Materials 10 February 2007 13:12 (UTC +04:00)

(www.irna.ir) вЂ" Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh here Friday evening said that countries which voted for UN Security Council Resolution 1737 are to blame for the IAEA decision to cut further its cooperation with Iran on the latter's peaceful nuclear program.

The IAEA, in a report presented by its secretariat, said technical help which the IAEA will henceforth give to Iran will be limited to food, agricultural, medical, safety and humanitarian purposes and for construction of light water nuclear reactors.

Talking to IRNA, he said that UN Security Council Resolution 1737 has imposed restrictions on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) thereby drastically limiting Iran-IAEA nuclear cooperation, reports Trend.

Soltaniyeh, pointing to the legal and technical arbitrariness of the IAEA report, argued that the projects removed from the scope of Iran-IAEA cooperation have nothing to do with the country's enrichment program, the peaceful purpose of which had been confirmed by the agency.

He further criticized the arbitrary and high-handed approach of the UN Security Council in passing the anti-Iran resolution, and said the resolution will cast doubt on the integrity of the agency and will make it subject to contempt by countries.

The UN Security Council on December 23 passed a resolution calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities and imposed sanctions for failure to comply with an earlier call, as well cuts in IAEA help to its peaceful nuclear program.

Out of 55 national and regional projects that the IAEA had agreed to cooperate with Iran, 22, or 40 percent, have already been totally or partially frozen.

However, the IAEA Board of Governors, when it meets in Vienna on March 5, could still alter this latest IAEA decision.

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