AFP: The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said Monday that Iran has still not given proof that its atomic program is peaceful and that he is seriously concerned about North Korea’s nuclear work.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said Monday that Iran has still not given proof that its atomic program is peaceful and that he is seriously concerned about North Korea’s nuclear work.
Iran again insisted to a nuclear debate at the UN General Assembly however that it is only working on civilian energy. The West has accused Iran of seeking a bomb.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano told the UN assembly: “Iran has has not provided the necessary cooperation to permit the agency to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.”
Iran must carry out “full implementation” of IAEA and UN Security Council resolutions which have imposed four rounds of sanctions over Iran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
However Iran hit back in the debate. “Claiming that ‘Iran has not provided the necessary cooperation’ is incorrect and misleading,” said the Islamic Republic’s deputy ambassador Eshagh al-Habib.
He called the UN Security Council sanction resolutions “illegal.”
Iran is “determined to exercise the inalienable right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.” The diplomat added though that Iran is ready to start new talks with the six international powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — on its nuclear drive from November 10.
“We are waiting to see the goodwill of the other parties and their real intention for meaningful and successful talks,” he said.
The IAEA chief highlighted that the agency has had no inspectors in North Korea since April 2009 as he called the isolated Asian nation’s nuclear program “a matter of serious concern.”
Amano said there should be “concerted efforts” for new talks between North Korea and China, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.
North Korea conducted one nuclear test in October 2006 and said it staged a second in May 2009, one month after it quit the six-nation talks. The last formal talks were in December 2008.
