North Korea's plans to restart a nuclear
facility as well as Iran's reluctance in clearing its nuclear past will be
discussed at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
on Wednesday in Vienna, dpa reported.
The debate will come a day after US president George W Bush told the
United Nations General Assembly in New York that the world "must remain
vigilant against proliferation by fully implementing the terms of Security
Council (resolutions) and enforcing sanctions against North Korea and
Iran."
On Monday, the 35 members of the IAEA Board of Governors were informed that
North Korea wanted IAEA seals and cameras removed at the Yongbyong nuclear
complex, with a view to restarting its plutonium reprocessing facility.
The IAEA has a mandate to monitor the nuclear freeze that North Korea agreed to
with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea, in exchange for
energy aid and an easing of sanctions.
Diplomats expect the US and the European Union to issue strong statements on
Iran at the IAEA board Wednesday, after the country has not provided
information about alleged studies that could indicate a nuclear weapons effort.
Contrary to resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, Tehran also
refuses to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
While the IAEA board is not expected to issue a resolution on Iran, the US,
Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany have started discussing further
steps to be taken in the Security Council.
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