VIENNA, Sept 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 63rd General Conference opened here on Monday amid heightened tensions over the Iran nuclear deal.
Many of the IAEA’s 171 member states are represented at the meeting, till Friday. The application of the IAEA’s safeguards in the Middle East and in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as, issues related to radiation safety and ways of strengthening the agency’s technical cooperation activities are on the agenda.
Discussing the crisis over Iran nuclear deal, IAEA Acting Director General, Cornel Feruta, told the conference, “A week ago I visited Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials … I continue to emphasise the importance of full and timely cooperation by Iran in the implementation of its Safeguards Agreement and additional protocol.”
“The agency continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement,” said the acting IAEA chief, noting that “Evaluations regarding the absence of the undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran continue.”
Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), condemned the “economic terrorism” pursued by the U.S. and called on the international community to assume joint responsibility for saving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“The violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution (2231) and the imposition of unilateral unlawful sanctions, as well as the application of extra-territorial national laws to other countries by the United States, certainly endangers international peace and security,” he said.
“If the international community fails to save the JCPOA promptly, multi-lateralism will lose its effectiveness, and any further peaceful resolution of global conflicts will be challenged, which will subsequently serve the malign interests of warmongers,” he said.
While Iran said, the steps to downgrade its nuclear commitments aim to “provide a new window for diplomacy to preserve the deal,” the U.S. called it a nuclear blackmail.
“Iran continues to use its nuclear programme to extort the international community and threaten regional security,” according to a message from U.S. President, Donald Trump, shared with the conference by U.S. Energy Secretary, Rick Perry.
The European Union (EU), on the other hand, noted Iran’s “stated intentions” to remain within the JCPOA and urged the country to reverse its steps and return to full JCPOA compliance, according to Petri Peltonen, Finland’s under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
“The EU deeply regrets the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA and the reimposed sanctions, and calls upon all countries to refrain from taking actions that impede the implementation of the JCPOA,” said Peltonen.– NNN-AGENCIES