Envoy: All IAEA Expectations Met after 3 Inspections of Arak Heavy Water Reactor

(FNA)- Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Reza Najafi underlined that all the technical expectations of the UN nuclear watchdog have been met and all its questions have been answered during the three visits of its inspectors to Iran’s heavy water installations in Arak.

“They visited certain necessary sections, not all the sections (of Arak heavy water installations), and they will reflect the results in their next report due to be presented (to the Board of Governors) before mid February,” Najafi said in an interview with the Persian-language daily, Iran, on Saturday.

“They have declared verbally that these visits have met all of their technical expectations,” he underlined.

Noting that Iran and the IAEA have witnessed significant progress in their relations during President Rouhani's administration, Najafi said, “This change has been very conspicuous in the Iran-IAEA ties and the rapid start of discussions on the contents (of their new cooperation) has been its result.”

The IAEA inspectors arrived in Tehran earlier this month to visit Arak heavy water reactor for a third time.

During their visit to Iran, the IAEA inspectors held a meeting with the officials of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and then visited Arak heavy water installations.

Before the IAEA started its visits to the Arak Reactor, the AEOI announced in a statement that "the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a sign of goodwill to remove any possible ambiguity about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, has given a positive response to the request made by the IAEA to visit the plant".

In mid-November, Director-General of the IAEA Yukiya Amano and AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi signed a joint statement which presented a roadmap for future cooperation to resolve the remaining issues between the two sides.

According to the statement, the IAEA and Iran agreed on November 11, 2013 to strengthen their cooperation and dialogue aimed at ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program through the resolution of all outstanding issues that have not already been resolved by the IAEA.

"The IAEA agreed to continue to take into account Iran's security concerns, including through the use of managed access and the protection of confidential information," the statement said.

According to the statement, it was agreed that Iran and the IAEA would cooperate further with respect to verification activities to be undertaken by the IAEA to resolve all present and past issues. "It is foreseen that Iran's cooperation will include providing the IAEA with timely information about its nuclear facilities and in regard to the implementation of transparency measures. Activities will proceed in a step-by-step manner," it said.

"As a first step, Iran and the IAEA agreed to the practical measures listed in the attached Annex. Iran will provide the access and information within three months from the date of the statement (today). The IAEA will report to the Board of Governors on progress in the implementation of these measures," it said.

Annex to the Joint Statement on a Framework for Cooperation of 11 November 2013

Initial Practical Measures to be Taken by Iran within Three Months

1. Providing mutually agreed relevant information and managed access to the Gachin mine in Bandar Abbas

2. Providing mutually agreed relevant information and managed access to the Heavy Water Production Plant

3. Providing information on all new research reactors

4. Providing information with regard to the identification of 16 sites designated for the construction of nuclear power plants

5. Clarification of the announcement made by Iran regarding additional enrichment facilities

6. Further clarification of the announcement made by Iran with respect to laser enrichment technology

In a joint press conference after endorsing the agreement with Salehi at the time, Amano appreciated Tehran for its increased cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and the “important steps” it has taken for the verification of its nuclear activities.

“Important measures have been taken (by Iran), but more jobs have still remained to be done and we will pursue them in the next steps,” Amano said in a joint press conference with Salehi.

Noting that Iran and the IAEA have agreed on a joint statement, he said, “The statement specifies the framework of Iran-IAEA cooperation on verification (of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities).”