General News
11/26/2009 8:21 AM ET
(RTTNews) -
Outgoing chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran was not cooperating with his agency in uncovering the truth about that country's dubious nuclear weapons program.
Addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna Thursday, Director- General Mohamed ElBaradei said he was 'disappointed' that Tehran backed out from an agreed multinational deal aimed at reducing tensions over the country's nuclear program.
He added that the "original proposal or the alternative modalities are balanced and fair and would greatly help to alleviate the concerns relating to Iran's nuclear program."
ElBaradei's 12-year term expires on November 30.
As part of the international community's efforts to ensure transparency to Iran's claims that it is enriching nuclear-potent uranium for peaceful purposes, IAEA last month presented a draft proposal advising Iran how to move forward on its uranium enrichment program.
It was finalized after negotiations involving Iran, France, Russia and the United States at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
Under the proposal, Russia would sign an agreement with Iran to enrich its uranium further, and Russia would conclude a subcontract with France to convert the material into actual fuel for a medical-purpose nuclear reactor in Tehran under constant monitoring by the IAEA.
Barely a week after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed his government's willingness "to cooperate" with Western powers on the IAEA-brokered nuclear fuel deal, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei changed Tehran's stand, saying it would not cooperate with any international dialogue where the opinion of Washington becomes decisive.
"We have effectively reached a dead end, unless Iran engages fully with us," ElBaradei told his colleagues.
The 35-nation board meeting is expected to vote on a resolution critical of Iran's nuclear defiance.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
|
|