BICOM

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency ended two days of talks yesterday. The parties agreed to meet again next week, just two days before Tehran resumes negotiations with world powers concerned it may be seeking to develop  nuclear weapons capability.

While both sides were upbeat about the discussions, which will continue on Monday, there was no word on whether the IAEA had made progress towards one of its main aims – to secure access to the Parchin military site near Tehran.

“We had a good exchange of views and we will meet again on Monday,” IAEA Deputy Director General Herman Nackaerts told reporters at the Iranian diplomatic mission in Vienna where the meeting took place. Standing next to him, Iranian Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh was more positive. “We had fruitful discussions in a very conducive environment. We have had progress,” he said.

Neither side gave details about the content of the talks, nor did they discuss if Iran will allow UN inspectors to visit the Parchin military site, where the IAEA suspects nuclear bomb-relevant research is being carried out.

Western diplomats, watching the meeting for any sign that Iran is ready to make concrete concessions ahead of the encounter in Baghdad next week, were not convinced. “It is too early to say whether progress was made. There are apparently some serious sticking points,” said one, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity. “The onus remains on Iran to address the agency’s – and international community’s – concerns about its nuclear programme.”

The IAEA had hoped to secure agreement on access to Iranian sites, documents and officials involved in suspected development work that could be put to use in producing nuclear explosives.

Two previous rounds of talks in Tehran this year with UN inspectors failed to make any notable progress, especially on their request to visit to Parchin.

In related news, David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has suggested that Iran’s current foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, had knowledge of Iran’s clandestine operation to procure goods for its nuclear programme whilst he was head of a university. Albright’s claim is based on 1,600 telexes and other material he has obtained, and is studying a letter signed by Salehi as head of Sharif University in 1991. The Tehran-based Sharif University, according to Albright, was acting as a front for Iran’s nuclear military procurement network.