Iran says inspection of the Parchin military site is not included in its new agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Following two days of constructive technical talks in Tehran, Iran and the UN nuclear agency issued a joint statement on Sunday on further bilateral cooperation.
Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement regarding seven practical steps which Tehran will carry out by May 15.
Inspection of Parchinis not within the framework of these seven steps, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told reporters in Tehran on Sunday.
Iran has vehemently dismissed allegations about clandestine nuclear activities at its Parchin military site. The IAEA inspectors have visited the site twice before.
Given Irans cooperation, the country is looking forward to a "positive" review by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano, Kamalvandi added.
We expect that we will witness a positive report by the International Atomic Energy Agencys director general to the Board of Governors considering the data provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the climate of cooperation, Kamalvandi said.
We used terms that carry a specific load of meaning, such as managed access. So, the agencys inspectors are not due to meet with our scientists, he added.
We still insist on managed access as has been the same from the beginning, the AEOI spokesman pointed out.
Iran and the IAEA signed a joint statement in November 2013 to outline a roadmap on mutual cooperation on certain outstanding nuclear issues. Under the deal, Iran agreed, on a voluntary basis, to allow IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine, south of Iran.
The IAEA inspectors visited the Arak heavy water plant on December 8, 2013 as the first step in mutual cooperation under the Iran-IAEA agreement. The IAEA inspectors also made a five-hour visit to the Gachin uranium mine in late January.
The agency's safeguards agreement does not require Tehran to authorize IAEA inspections of those sites. The voluntary move is a goodwill gesture on the part of Iran to clear up ambiguities over the peaceful nature of its nuclear energy program.
By Press TV
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