Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran will hold a new round of talks in late September over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme, Reuters reported.

The first such meeting since relative moderate Hassan Rouhani took office as Iranian president has been set for September 27, a spokeswoman for IAEA informed.

The IAEA, whose mission is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, has been trying to negotiate a so-called structured approach with Iran giving the inspectors access to sites, officials and documents for their long-stalled inquiry.

World powers are monitoring the IAEA-Iran talks for any signs as to whether Tehran, facing intensifying sanctions pressure, may be prepared to finally start tackling mounting international concerns about its nuclear activity.

On May 15, Iran and the IAEA wrapped up their latest round of talks on Tehran's nuclear energy program in Vienna, Austria.

The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes.

Iran reiterates that its main demand is that its right to uranium enrichment, as stipulated in the NPT, be recognized.

Recently, Iran has replaced its ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asker Sultaniye. Iranian President Rouhani nominated Reza Najafi as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the IAEA.

Najafi's appointment to the post was recommended to the President by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Najafi previously worked as Head of the Department of International and Political Affairs of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, director of the Office of Disarmament and International Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the representative of Iran to the UN Disarmament Committee and in other capacities.