Iran offers invitation to nuclear inspectors
Source: Agencies |
January 5, 2011, Wednesday
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OFFICIALS from Iran said yesterday it had invited some envoys accredited to the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit key nuclear facilities this month, shortly before a second round of talks between Tehran and major powers.
Those invited included representatives from some of the six world powers involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based UN nuclear body, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said the plan was for the ambassadors to travel to the Natanz uranium enrichment facility and the Arak heavy water reactor.
The two sites are at the heart of Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, which suspects the Middle Eastern nation is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies this.
"Ambassadors ... are invited to visit our nuclear sites, particularly in Natanz and Arak," he said in Vienna. "This is in the line of our transparent nuclear policy," he said, adding that meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials would also be organized.
Analysts said the move was an attempt by Tehran to demonstrate openness about its nuclear program before meeting the six powers - Russia, China, the United States, France, Germany and Britain, known as P5+1 - in Istanbul this month.
"This is Iran trying to show that it is flexible, that we don't have any problem to show our facilities to diplomats," said Mahjoob Zweiri, an Iran expert at the -University of Qatar.
Iran and the powers agreed in Geneva last month, in the first such talks in more than a year, to hold more discussions in the Turkish city in late January, even though no exact date has been announced.
The Geneva meeting made little progress towards resolving the row over Iran's nuclear work. Iran says its nuclear program is purely for peaceful electricity production and has rejected international demands to curb it.
The IAEA regularly visits Iranian nuclear sites -including Natanz, but it has voiced growing frustration at what it sees as lack of -Iranian full -cooperation with its inspectors.
Iran, one of the world's major oil producers, has been subjected since June 2010 to a -series of UN, US and -European Union -measures aimed at its important energy sector. The sanctions are aimed at -persuading Iran to halt its -uranium enrichment program.
While Iran has insisted the sanctions are having no effect, political analysts say the unexpected severity of the measures may have been a factor in persuading it to go back to talks.
Those invited included representatives from some of the six world powers involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based UN nuclear body, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said the plan was for the ambassadors to travel to the Natanz uranium enrichment facility and the Arak heavy water reactor.
The two sites are at the heart of Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, which suspects the Middle Eastern nation is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies this.
"Ambassadors ... are invited to visit our nuclear sites, particularly in Natanz and Arak," he said in Vienna. "This is in the line of our transparent nuclear policy," he said, adding that meetings with high-ranking Iranian officials would also be organized.
Analysts said the move was an attempt by Tehran to demonstrate openness about its nuclear program before meeting the six powers - Russia, China, the United States, France, Germany and Britain, known as P5+1 - in Istanbul this month.
"This is Iran trying to show that it is flexible, that we don't have any problem to show our facilities to diplomats," said Mahjoob Zweiri, an Iran expert at the -University of Qatar.
Iran and the powers agreed in Geneva last month, in the first such talks in more than a year, to hold more discussions in the Turkish city in late January, even though no exact date has been announced.
The Geneva meeting made little progress towards resolving the row over Iran's nuclear work. Iran says its nuclear program is purely for peaceful electricity production and has rejected international demands to curb it.
The IAEA regularly visits Iranian nuclear sites -including Natanz, but it has voiced growing frustration at what it sees as lack of -Iranian full -cooperation with its inspectors.
Iran, one of the world's major oil producers, has been subjected since June 2010 to a -series of UN, US and -European Union -measures aimed at its important energy sector. The sanctions are aimed at -persuading Iran to halt its -uranium enrichment program.
While Iran has insisted the sanctions are having no effect, political analysts say the unexpected severity of the measures may have been a factor in persuading it to go back to talks.
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