Iran hails "new chapter of cooperation" with IAEA
Xinhua
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TEHRAN, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi on Tuesday hailed the "constructive" talks with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi for opening a "new chapter of cooperation" between Iran and the IAEA.

In a joint press conference in Iran's capital Tehran, Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that the Iran-IAEA cooperation "will be developed more than ever," the official news agency IRNA reported.

Salehi voiced hopes that Grossi's visit will have results that "satisfy both sides," with the IAEA acting on the basis of its own statute and Iran "reciprocally" fulfilling its duties on the basis of the IAEA Safeguards Agreement and Iran's Additional Protocol.

After Tuesday's talks in Tehran, Iran expects the IAEA to perform its task in a "professional and independent" manner, Salehi said.

Both sides are working on a joint statement on the results of the talks that will be published "as soon as it is completed," he noted.

Iran's enemies "will not remain silent," but Iran will act according to its national interest, and "will not submit to demands beyond its nuclear commitments," Salehi added.

For his part, Grossi said as long as he is the IAEA chief, he will "never allow anyone to abuse the agency in order to achieve their own goals."

Answering a question about a change in the IAEA's approach under his directorship, Grossi stressed there has not been "any problem" in the Iran-IAEA relation since he took charge on Dec. 3, 2019, and no changes in its approach or procedures.

The cooperation between Iran and the IAEA has been "intensive," and is expected to continue to be "constructive," the IAEA chief said.

Sometimes "there are questions which require more transparency," and that is the reason for his visit to Iran, he added.

Responding to a question about the nuclear activities of Saudi Arabia, Iran's major Gulf rival, Grossi said that under the agreement between the kingdom and the IAEA, Saudi activities will be monitored by the IAEA.

Grossi arrived in Tehran on Monday, heading a delegation to confer with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other top Iranian officials. Enditem