The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deputy director Olli Heinonen (3rd L) attends a meeting with Aliasghar Soltaniyeh (4th R), Iran's IAEA Ambassador, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator Javad Vaeedi (3th R) and deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi (2nd R) in Tehran July 11, 2007. Heinonen is in Iran to test Tehran's latest promise to answer questions about its nuclear agenda under the threat of stiffer sanctions. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
TEHRAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday held the first round of
talks with Iranian officials to discuss an action plan to resolve the nuclear
dispute, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The three-hour marathon talks was held at Iran's
Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the two sides will continue
negotiations until Thursday, IRNA said.
None of the relative officials made any comments so
far, the report said, adding that the results of the talks are to be declared on
Thursday afternoon.
The IAEA delegation was led by its deputy head for
safeguards Olli Heinonen, while the Iranian team was chaired by Deputy Secretary
of the SNSC for International Affairs Javad Vaeedi.
The IAEA team arrived in Iran on Wednesday morning in
a bid to draw up a framework to resolve the dispute over the country's nuclear
program.
The team is expected to hold talks with Iran's top
nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani during its three-day stay in Iran. The talks
would be within the frameworks of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the
IAEA safeguards, according to IRNA. The idea to draw up the framework was put
forward by Larijanilast month when he was in Madrid, Spain for talks with the
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana about Iran's nuclear program.
Late last month, in a meeting with the IAEA Director
General Mohamed ElBaradei in Vienna, Larijani invited a delegation from the IAEA
to visit Iran and hold talks with Iranian officials overdrawing an action plan
to put an end to the stalemate between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog.
TEHRAN, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that his country would not suspend its uranium
enrichment, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"No one should expect us to give up our rights and
suspend the trend of activities," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. Full story
LONDON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Britain's new Foreign Secretary
Dtriggering vid Miliband has warned Iran that the British government would
maintain a tough stance on Tehran's nuclear ambitions, The Financial Times
reported Monday.
In his first interview since becoming foreign
secretary 10 days ago, Miliband told the paper that Iran "has every right to be
secure, rich country" but "doesn't have the right to set off a nuclear arms race
in the Middle East" and "the right to undermine the stability of its
neighbors". Full story
TEHRAN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian official said on
Wednesday that Tehran has taken practical steps to resolve the outstanding
nuclear issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the official
IRNA news agency reported.
Iran's Under-Secretary of the Supreme National
Security Council(SNSC) for International Affairs Javad Vaeedi said Secretary of
the SNSC "Ali Larijani has invited IAEA inspectors to visit Iran to resolve the
technical issues with the specialized agency, preferring the IAEA to the United
Nations Security Council." Full story
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