Iran and the UN nuclear agency issued a joint statement after Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi’s trip to Tehran, agreeing on closer cooperation to settle the outstanding issues pertaining to the Safeguards Agreement.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the IAEA issued a joint statement on Saturday at the end of a two-day visit by Grossi to Tehran and his talks with President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Head of the AEOI Mohammad Eslami.
According to the statement, both sides recognized that such positive engagements between Iran and the IAEA can pave the way for wider agreements among state parties, Press TV reported.
Both sides agreed that bilateral interactions will be carried out in a spirit of collaboration, and in full conformity with the competencies of the IAEA and the rights and obligations of Iran based on the comprehensive safeguards agreement.
“Regarding the outstanding safeguards issues related to the three locations, Iran expressed its readiness to continue its cooperation and provide further information and access to address the outstanding safeguards issues,” the statement said.
Iran and the IAEA are currently in a dispute triggered by the agency’s Israeli-influenced accusations, which were leveled against Tehran’s nuclear activities. The IAEA insists to probe into what the agency claims are “uranium traces” found at “undeclared nuclear sites” in Iran.
The issue has emerged as a key sticking point in talks aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal, which remain stalled since last August. Iran has dismissed the probe as “politically motivated”.
The Islamic Republic repeatedly stresses that its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, while the Zionist entity is widely believed to have a stockpile that ranges between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads. As Iran is a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), ‘Israel’ has declined to sign the treaty.
Source: Iranian media
