Iran offers restructuring of IAEA
By Sara Rajabova
Iran's newly appointed ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi has suggested restructuring of the organization.
While addressing the 57th regular session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on September 19, the Iranian envoy called for an increase in the number of the members of the agency's Board of Governors as well as a revision of the make-up of the permanent seats at the UN body, Press TV reported.
Najafi said that while the General Conference consists of all member states and the Board of Governors has limited number of members, there is no appropriate balance between the powers and duties of these two bodies, and the decisions made at the General Conference are mainly subject to the approval or prior recommendations of the Board of Governors.
He proposed the formation of a consultative group comprising all members to discuss the above-mentioned proposals and make appropriate recommendations in that regard.
Meanwhile, a number of other envoys to the IAEA, including those from Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, Algeria, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Egypt and Lebanon, expressed support for Iran's proposals.
Najafi also added that Iran will cooperate with the U.N. nuclear agency to find ways to "overcome existing issues once and for all".
He said based on its rights and obligations recognized under the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), Iran is ready to faithfully engage and remove any ambiguity on its nuclear activities.
Ambasador Najafi was appointed as a Permanent Representative of Iran to IAEA in August 2013.
Previously, Ali Asghar Soltanieh acted as Iran's ambassador to IAEA since 2005, during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.
Recall that the new round of talks between Iran and IAEA will be held on September 27.
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.
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