IAEA to inspect Iran's Qom site Oct. 25
UN nuclear watchdog director tells reporters in Tehran that Iran's relations with West moving from 'conspiracy' to 'cooperation', nuclear dispute could be solved through diplomacy
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will inspect Iran's new uranium enrichment site in Qom on October 25, its chief Mohammed ElBaradei said on Sunday.
ElBaradei spoke in Tehran following talks with Iranian officials over a recently revealed uranium enrichment facility that has caused consternation around to world over the extent and purpose of Iran's nuclear program.
He said at a news conference with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, that Iran's relations with the West were moving from "conspiracy" to "cooperation" and that the nuclear dispute could be solved through diplomacy.
"It is important for us to have comprehensive cooperation over the Qom site. We had dialogue, we had talks on clarification of the facility in Qom, which is a pilot enrichment plant," ElBaradei said, adding Iran should have informed the IAEA of Qom when it decided to build the site.
Salehi praised his talks with the UN agency chief as "very successful".
IAEA chief with Iranian President Ahmadinejad (Photo: Reuters)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday that "thanks to the good cooperation" between his country and the UN nuclear watchdog, there are no further disputed issues.
"Thanks to the good cooperation between Iran and the agency, important issues have been solved and there is no more vagueness," the Iranian leader said shortly after meeting with Elbaradei.
ElBaradei said talks had been a success and he saw the possibility of defusing the international crisis over Iran's nuclear program.
"We need transparency on the part of Iran and we need cooperation on the part of the international community," he said, describing a "shifting of gears" in relations between Iran and the Western powers.
Revelations that Iran had a second, previously unknown, site to refine uranium has raised new international fears of the purposes of the nation's nuclear program.
The US and its allies say Iran's program is seeking nuclear weapons while Iran says it is for peaceful purposes.
Reuters, AFP and The Associated Press contributed to this report
