AFP: The deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Wednesday, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA told the semi-official Fars news agency on Tuesday. TEHRAN, July 10, 2007 (AFP) – The deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani on Wednesday, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA told the semi-official Fars news agency on Tuesday.
“Olli Heinonen, IAEA’s deputy director general for safeguards, meets Ali Larijani on Wednesday afternoon and will later hold talks with deputies and relevant officials,” Ali Asghar Soltanieh said.
The UN atomic watchdog delegation will arrive in Tehran on Wednesday morning.
Heinonen is making the two-day visit to draw up a plan to resolve “outstanding issues” in Iran’s nuclear programme as the West increases pressure on Tehran to suspend its nuclear drive or face more sanctions.
Larijani invited the atomic experts after talks with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei and EU foreign policy supremo Javier Solana last month over the standoff.
ElBaradei has said that “drawing up a plan of action” should take 60 days. Implementation would then begin on resolving questions about Iranian nuclear activities that could have military applications.
Iran is under UN sanctions for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, the process which makes nuclear fuel as well as the fissile core of an atom bomb.
Iran denies allegations that it is seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear activities are aimed at civilian purposes and that it has the right to pursue them.
