Envoys visits prove Iran’s goodwill

Iran’s Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh has hailed the presence of foreign diplomats at the country’s nuclear facilities as a “gesture of goodwill and transparency.”

“The inspection of [nuclear sites] by world representatives is in line with Iran’s policies to make its nuclear activities transparent, because we are always interacting with the agency and its member states and this interaction is continuous,” the Iranian permanent envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency told reporters in Tehran late Sunday.

The Iranian diplomat reiterated that the Islamic Republic has such interaction with not only the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states but also European countries and provides their ambassadors and representatives with explanations in the case of any ambiguities.

Representatives from the IAEA, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 and the Arab League arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday for a two-day visit at the invitation of the Islamic Republic to tour the country’s nuclear facilities, including the Arak heavy water reactor and the Natanz enrichment facility.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton refused Iran’s invitation, saying the task of inspection should be carried out by the IAEA.

Soltanieh highlighted NAM’s support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, saying Tehran has always consulted with the organization about all its nuclear activities down to the smallest detail.

“In a similar move in 2004 and 2007 we asked the representatives of NAM, Group of 77 and the Arab League to visit Iran’s nuclear sites, proving that the doors of our nuclear facilities are open to them,” the Iranian official noted.

He went on to say that the European states and their media are however misleading the public opinion, trying to portray a false and non-peaceful image of Iran’s nuclear drives.

Soltanieh said the presence of representatives of 120 countries at the Arak heavy water reactor and the Natanz enrichment facility is a positive proof of transparency in Iran’s atomic program.

“The foreign diplomats were suitably impressed with Natanz and Arak facilties and reiterated that the past propaganda used against Iran has been false and incorrect,” the Iranian diplomat continued.

The foreign diplomats cited Iran’s nuclear activities as transparent and refuted the allegations leveled by the West against Iran, which claim Iran is pursuing a covert and non-peaceful nuclear drive, Soltanieh concluded.

The United Sates and its Western allies are accusing the Islamic Republic of seeking a military nuclear program under the guise of peaceful activities, a claim that Iran has rejected vehemently.

Tehran says as a member to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) it reserves the right to continue its atomic program and that all its nuclear work is under the full supervision of the IAEA.