Iran Reacts To A Politically Motivated Resolution
Nov. 28, 09 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Iran has taken the first step in reaction to IAEA board of governors’ anti-Iran resolution passed on Friday. The resolution cites Iran’s non-compliance with the international safeguards and concludes that Tehran has hidden nuclear activities.
The resolution wants Iran to halt all enrichment related activities, stop construction of ferdow nuclear site and give unhindered access to every suspected plant in the country. Iran had earlier warned that if the governing board in Vienna passes such resolution, it would not hesitate to reduce cooperation with the IAEA.
In the same way, Iran’s envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh has officially announced Iran will cease all its voluntary cooperation with IAEA from this day. “To show its goodwill, the Islamic Republic of Iran has so far taken steps beyond its commitments, but this resolution will cause Iran to cooperate with the agency only within the framework of the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty),” Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Friday.
‘The Board of Governors’ resolution will disrupt the current atmosphere of cooperation and will cause Iran to discontinue its voluntary cooperation which went beyond its commitments,’ Soltanieh told the Mehr News Agency.
35 members of the governing board of the IAEA met to discuss Mohamad El Baradei’s latest report on Iran. Last Friday, they held a vote in which 25 countries voted yes, six countries abstained and three countries voted no to the draft resolution. Cuba, Venezuela and Malaysia gave no votes while Brazil, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt and South Africa abstained. Azerbaijan quit the meeting before the voting began.
Iranian officials at the Foreign Ministry rejected the resolution by issuing a statement saying ‘Iran sees no need to commit itself to voluntary cooperation with the agency since its fundamental rights as an NPT signatory are not being observed.’ Mehr News Agency reported.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement also says that the adoption of the resolution was a futile attempt to impose pressure on the Islamic Republic.
Other countries representatives to the IAEA voiced dissatisfaction over the adoption of the resolution. Egyptian envoy said there is no justification for the resolution since it will damage the quality of Iran’s cooperation with the UN body.
Soltanieh called the resolution as the one that has caused a rift among different countries and would seriously undermine the IAEA’s activities as an independent organization.
‘In Vienna, while studying the Iran issue at the Board of Governors meeting, one bloc supported Iran and another bloc pushed for (ratification of) the resolution, and this trend is dangerous for the long-term activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency as a technical organization.’ Soltanieh said.
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