Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano, who arrived in Tehran on Saturday, attended a joint press conference with the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday in Tehran.
During the brief press conference held immediately after his meeting with Salehi at the AEOI building, Amano expressed satisfaction with visiting Iran again, saying he would also hold talks with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“I enjoyed having a meeting with Vice-President Salehi this morning following our meeting in Rome in October also our meeting in Vienna in September,” he said.
He went on to add, “since January 2016, the IAEA has been monitoring and verifying the nuclear-related commitments made by Iran under the JCPOA. The IAEA believes that the JCPOA is a significant gain for verification. The IAEA can state that the nuclear-related commitments made by Iran under the JCPOA are being implemented.”
“In today’s meeting with Vice-President Salehi, I stressed the importance of the full implementation of commitments by all sides,” he added.
To a question about the IAEA’s position on US President Trump’s threats to tear up Iran nuclear deal and the Agency’s measures to safeguard the agreement, Amano refused to comment on the remarks made by Trump, but went on to stress that the JCPOA is an agreement between P5+1 and Iran under the support of the United Nations Security Council, and that the IAEA has authorized, monitored and verified the nuclear-related commitments.
“The IAEA has been monitoring and verifying in an impartial, objective and strict manner in accordance with the modalities defined in the JCPOA and in accordance with the established safeguard standards, and will continue to do so,” he stressed.
Asked about the IAEA’s measures to ensure that the Agency’s inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites would remain technical and free of any politically-motivated objective, Amano stressed that “the most important issue for the IAEA is to be impartial.”
He went on to add, “I have always remained committed to this impartiality ever since I became the Director General of the IAEA. Sometimes, I had to report the bad news, but I also reported the good news. It is very important to stick to the rules, and I will continue to do so.”
About the possible message of Amano’s visit to Iran following President Trump’s recent move to decertify Iran nuclear deal, Amano said “as far as nuclear-related commitments are concerned, and as of today, I can state that Iran has been implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA.”
For his part, Iran’s nuclear chief maintained that Amano’s visit comes at the request of the IAEA head and is of special importance due to the remarks and measures by the US president in regard to the nuclear deal; “Mr. Amano would like to have an effective part on the current issues, hence his today’s visit,” Salehi added.
“The IAEA is under great pressure due to the recent remarks made by the US president,” Salehi said. “We called on the IAEA to continue their monitoring in accordance with the Agency’s statute and in an impartial and independent manner. “
Salehi went on to stress, “the visit carries a special message that the IAEA is resolute in taking an effective step [on preserving the nuclear deal] in the current situation.”
MS
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