Envoys start Iran’s Natanz tour

Foreign diplomats from 130 countries have started to visit Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility on the second day of a two-day tour of the country’s nuclear sites.

Iran extended an invitation to allow the inspection of its nuclear facilities as a goodwill gesture aimed at displaying the “transparency” of its nuclear program in the spirit of international cooperation.

Ahead of their inspection on Sunday, representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 and the Arab League and the Syrian and Venezuelan ambassadors to the IAEA watched a film on various aspects of Iran’s nuclear program and the nuclear fuel cycle, IRNA reported.

Egypt is the current head of NAM, and the G77 is being represented by Algeria.

Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh and a number of top officials from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran are accompanying the foreign diplomats.

The group of dignitaries, who arrived in the Iranian capital city, Tehran, early Saturday, visited the Arak heavy water reactor on the same day.

Iran invited EU member states as well but they refused Tehran’s offer.

Soltanieh said on Saturday that this is not the first time that foreign delegates visit Iran’s nuclear sites.

The Iranian official said that representatives from NAM and Group of 77 visited Isfahan UCF nuclear site in 2007.