Speaking in an interview with a Swiss magazine “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” on Wednesday, Rafael Grossi emphasized that Iran is an independent country and the recent agreement made between Iran and IAEA is a shining moment in diplomacy.
In response to a question on ‘which country has caused the Agency the most trouble since you have appointed as the Director-General of IAEA in Dec. 2019, he said that the word ‘trouble; has a negative connotation but IAEA will certainly focus on the countries where the Agency has an important mission in these countries. Iran is now at the center of IAEA’s activities but there are other problems. The Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons is a constant and perpetual challenge in this regard.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is an independent country which ‘safeguards’ measures are carried out about its nuclear activities, he added.
Turning to IAEA’s inspection of two nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, “Four weeks after I took office, we asked for access to two of Iran’s nuclear facilities but Iran did not allow the agency to inspect of its nuclear sites and we were in a difficult situation.”
After consultations, Iran allowed the Agency to inspect its two nuclear sites and this was a ‘brilliant and shining moment in diplomacy, Grossi reiterated.
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