TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have had successful talks in Tehran on Monday, Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said, adding that the IAEA and AEOI deputy chiefs will continue the negotiations in the afternoon.The two sides had two and a half hours of negotiations which were successful, Kamalvandi said on the sidelines of a joint press conference between Head of the AEOI Ali Akbar Salehi and IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano in Tehran on Monday.
Iran and the Agency, headed by Salehi and Amano, had serious consultations to increase cooperation, he added.
Noting that the Monday negotiations between Amano and Salehi ended by a joint statement on the steps to be taken by Iran and the IAEA, Kamalvandi said, In this statement the method and framework of continued cooperation between Iran and the Agency has been specified.
Later reports also said that the talks between the two sides would continue by Salehi and Amano's deputies in the afternoon.
Earlier today, Amano appreciated Tehran for its increased cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and the important steps it has taken for the verification of its nuclear activities.
Important measures have been taken (by Iran), but more jobs have still remained to be done and we will pursue them in the next steps, Amano said in a joint press conference with Salehi in Tehran on Monday.
Noting that Iran and the IAEA have agreed on a joint statement, he said, The statement specifies the framework of Iran-IAEA cooperation on verification (of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities).
He said based on the joint statement, serious measures will be taken to verify the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities
The decision has been made to take the necessary actions based on the joint statement for a three-month period starting from today, Amano said.
Iran on Monday issued the needed permission for the International Atomic Energy Agency to start inspection of its heavy water reactor in Arak and Gachin Uranium Mine near the Southern city of Bandar Abbas, two bones of contention in Iran-IAEA debates in recent years.
The voluntary measure was adopted by the permission of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to show Irans good will, (otherwise) Iran has not such duty on the basis of the safeguards undertakings, Salehi told the press conference.
He said that the permission was issued after Iran and the IAEA agreed on a road map for cooperation and the Iranian governments new approach to voluntarily increase cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Salehi added that Iran has also issued the permission for the IAEAs inspection of Gachin uranium mine.
Arak heavy water reactor uses natural uranium to produce radio medicines and it is planned to replace the Tehran research reactor gradually. The reactor is resistant to strong blasts as well as 8-magnitude earthquakes.
Salehi made the remarks after meeting Amano who arrived in Tehran early Monday to hold talks with Iranian officials on a new framework for cooperation between the two sides.
The IAEAs press office said last week that Amano would arrive in Tehran on Monday at the invitation of Salehi to hold talks with senior Iranian officials with the aim of strengthening dialog and cooperation between the two sides".
In relevant remarks on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi underlined that Iran and the IAEA are due to consider a new framework for continued cooperation.
The finalization of this new framework of cooperation is in the final stages, he told reporters in Tehran yesterday.
Araqchi expressed the hope that the new framework of cooperation would be signed by the two sides during Amanos visit to Iran.
Last week, Salehi said, "I have invited Mr. Amano to pay an official visit to Tehran on November 11."
"We hope that during Amano's visit both sides would discuss relevant (Iran-IAEA) issues and make a joint statement afterwards," Salehi underlined.
Late in October, after two days of talks, Iran and the IAEA inked a new agreement based on which both sides are committed to pursue the settlement of Tehran's nuclear case at the UN body.
During the second round of their talks at the time, Iran and the IAEA reached a new accord which would replace the previous frameworks.
The new agreement was the most important achievement of the two-day talks in Vienna.
On October 29, a senior diplomat close to the Iranian team of negotiators with the IAEA revealed that Tehran has submitted new proposals to the IAEA in its talks with the UN nuclear watchdog.
By Fars News Agency
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