Accueil
IAEA suspends some technical aid to Iran
VIENNA, Jan 18 (AFP) Jan 18, 2007
The International Atomic Energy Agency has halted some of its technical aid to Iran following the United Nations' sanctions against Tehran's nuclear programme, the chairman of the agency's board of governors said Thursday.
"The (IAEA) secretariat has put on hold, suspended, some projects which are prima facie under the sanctions" imposed in December by the UN Security Council, Slovenian ambassador Ernest Petric, who this year heads the agency's 35-member board of governors, told AFP.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei will submit a report on technical cooperation with Iran "at the beginning of February", before handing in a comprehensive report, requested by the Security Council, on Tehran's uranium enrichment, Petric and other diplomatic sources said in Vienna.
The Security Council passed a resolution on December 23 imposing sanctions on Iran following Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
Highly-enriched uranium can be used to build an atom bomb and the West fears that Tehran could use its civilian programme to acquire a nuclear weapon.
ElBaradei sent a letter on December 27 to the Slovenian chairman of the IAEA board to say his secretariat "will evaluate all IAEA technical cooperation projects for Iran in light of resolution 1737 and will prepare a report including a list of the projects which could, in the Secretariat's judgement, continue to be implemented."
The number of projects to be suspended was not stated but they involve cooperation measures, including regional cooperation, that could have military implications, diplomatic sources said.
The Security Council directed all states in its December 23 resolution "to prevent the supply, sale or transfer... of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs."
No extraordinary reunion is expected ahead of the board of governors' regular meeting on March 5, where they will discuss technical cooperation among other issues, Petric said.
At this time, the board's members will examine the list of technical cooperation projects and decide which of them should be put on hold, he added.
"Neither I nor any board members wants to meddle at this point in the secretariat's work," he said, adding that some projects will be suspended, but others such as humanitarian or water projects may be continued.
In November 2006, the IAEA rejected Tehran's request for technical help in building a heavy-water reactor in Arak that the West fears could provide weapons grade material.
But Iran has said it is determined to maintain its nuclear programme and announced Monday that it was aiming to install at least 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium at a key nuclear plant in defiance of Western warnings to freeze the sensitive activity.
IAEA inspections are however still underway at the Natanz enrichment plant, a diplomat close to the agency said.
Another added that to start 3,000 centrifuges could take months and the machines seemed to be "relatively primitive."
ElBaradei warned Thursday in Paris that the UN's limited sanctions against Iran -- a result of differences between the United States, the European Union, China and Russia -- were not a solution and could instead "lead to escalation" between Tehran and the West.
He voiced support for French plans to send a special envoy to Tehran, saying he "would support any effort by any side to engage Iran into comprehensive negotiation."
All rights reserved. © 2005 Agence France-Presse
VIENNA, Jan 18 (AFP) Jan 18, 2007
The International Atomic Energy Agency has halted some of its technical aid to Iran following the United Nations' sanctions against Tehran's nuclear programme, the chairman of the agency's board of governors said Thursday.
"The (IAEA) secretariat has put on hold, suspended, some projects which are prima facie under the sanctions" imposed in December by the UN Security Council, Slovenian ambassador Ernest Petric, who this year heads the agency's 35-member board of governors, told AFP.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei will submit a report on technical cooperation with Iran "at the beginning of February", before handing in a comprehensive report, requested by the Security Council, on Tehran's uranium enrichment, Petric and other diplomatic sources said in Vienna.
The Security Council passed a resolution on December 23 imposing sanctions on Iran following Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
Highly-enriched uranium can be used to build an atom bomb and the West fears that Tehran could use its civilian programme to acquire a nuclear weapon.
ElBaradei sent a letter on December 27 to the Slovenian chairman of the IAEA board to say his secretariat "will evaluate all IAEA technical cooperation projects for Iran in light of resolution 1737 and will prepare a report including a list of the projects which could, in the Secretariat's judgement, continue to be implemented."
The number of projects to be suspended was not stated but they involve cooperation measures, including regional cooperation, that could have military implications, diplomatic sources said.
The Security Council directed all states in its December 23 resolution "to prevent the supply, sale or transfer... of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs."
No extraordinary reunion is expected ahead of the board of governors' regular meeting on March 5, where they will discuss technical cooperation among other issues, Petric said.
At this time, the board's members will examine the list of technical cooperation projects and decide which of them should be put on hold, he added.
"Neither I nor any board members wants to meddle at this point in the secretariat's work," he said, adding that some projects will be suspended, but others such as humanitarian or water projects may be continued.
In November 2006, the IAEA rejected Tehran's request for technical help in building a heavy-water reactor in Arak that the West fears could provide weapons grade material.
But Iran has said it is determined to maintain its nuclear programme and announced Monday that it was aiming to install at least 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium at a key nuclear plant in defiance of Western warnings to freeze the sensitive activity.
IAEA inspections are however still underway at the Natanz enrichment plant, a diplomat close to the agency said.
Another added that to start 3,000 centrifuges could take months and the machines seemed to be "relatively primitive."
ElBaradei warned Thursday in Paris that the UN's limited sanctions against Iran -- a result of differences between the United States, the European Union, China and Russia -- were not a solution and could instead "lead to escalation" between Tehran and the West.
He voiced support for French plans to send a special envoy to Tehran, saying he "would support any effort by any side to engage Iran into comprehensive negotiation."
All rights reserved. © 2005 Agence France-Presse