UN Security Council’s politics complicate nuclear situation – Iran’s envoy
Iran is promising transparency and constructive interaction with the UN's nuclear watchdog. In an exclusive interview with RT, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency reiterated that Tehran has nothing to prove.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh told RT that Iran is being proactive and open towards IAEA allowing the watchdog into the country to inspect all nuclear facilities. “For the last eight years we have had unprecedented co-operation with IAEA,” he said. “We have always welcomed negotiations at top level with due respect and of course without any precondition.” The envoy was commenting on the statement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Shanghai Co-operation Organization Summit in Kazakhstan. The Iranian president has guaranteed that Tehran does not plan to obtain nuclear weapons.“One thing is clear – we do not have any program for nuclear weapons. We are fully co-operating with IAEA,” assured Soltanieh. “We had the most robust inspection in the history of IAEA. And they have found no evidence of diversion of nuclear material to prohibited purposes.”But the Iran’s nuclear emissary was very disappointed with the recent comments of the EU's foreign policy chief. A few days ago, in an exclusive interview with RT, Baroness Ashton called on Tehran to prove its' peaceful atomic intentions.“Latest reports of IAEA clearly show that all enrichment activities and every gram of uranium is under fullest control of IAEA,” he said. “24-hour cameras and inspectors confirm it. These kinds of statements are misleading.”“I invited the ambassadors of the EU and also a special representative of Lady Ashton to IAEA to join us all together when we visited Natanz enrichment facilities,” he said. “They would have had an opportunity to see the realities on the ground. Unfortunately Lady Ashton prevented the ambassadors of the EU from joining us and going there”. Ali Asghar Soltanieh has also insisted that Iran is committed to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. “Of course there is serious international concern that the only non-party to the NPT in the Middle East is Israel,” he said. “They have violated all international laws and regulations and I am very pleased that the final declaration adopted by the international community calls on Israel to promptly join the NPT, and destroy all nuclear weapon capabilities and we are strongly urging the universality of the NPT. We are supporting it.”“We have had no program for nuclear weapons and the so-called American allegations had no justification and in 117 pages we proved that all these allegations were forged and fabricated,” Soltanieh told RT at the end of his interview. “We are fully prepared to solve any question whatsoever, but through IAEA in a technical manner without any political motivation. And we need from IAEA a calmer, technical, professional environment. And the sooner the better the UN Security Council should stop its engagement. Its political rhetoric and statement complicate the situation. Let the IAEA do its job.” “I assure you that none of the sanctions imposed on Iran have had any impact on our enrichment activities. The sanctions haven’t been able to affect Iran’s enrichment program.”