IAEA to monitor Iran’s Saghand uranium mine
The head of the IAEA's Safeguards will visit Iran's "Saghand"
uranium mining complex and Ardakan concentration plant in the
coming days.
Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz
Kamalvandi said Massimo Aparo will visit the facilities on the
Iran-IAEA seven-article agreement, ISNA news agency reported on
April 29.
The Saghand uranium mining complex is located near Ardakan, in
central Iran.
The mine has 1.5 million tons of ore reserves, with an average
grade of 553 ppm. Ore is processed into uranium ore concentrate at
the yellowcake production plant at Ardakan.
Kamalvandi also went on to say the IAEA inspectors visited Iran's
Lashgarabad laser uranium enrichment facility last week.
Based on the Iran-IAEA deal made in the second phase of technical
talks with the aim of easing concerns and answering the IAEA
questions on Iranian peaceful nuclear issue, Iran agreed to hand
mutually-agreed information, and make arrangements for technical
visit of Lashkarabad center.
The spokesman also confirmed the visit of the IAEA deputy director
general Tero Varjoranta to Tehran for informal talks.
Varjoranta has visited Iran frequently and the IAEA officials come
to Iran to hold talks with Iranian officials within the framework
of Iran-IAEA cooperation, Kamalvandi underlined.
It should be recalled that Iran agreed to take seven "practical
steps" in its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency, according to a joint statement of Iran and the IAEA posted
on the website of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in
February.
Based on the agreement, Iran should allow IAEA access to Saghand
uranium mine and Ardakan yellow cake complex in the central
province of Yazd. Iran agreed to provide more information about its
Arak heavy- water reactor and implement the agreed procedure on the
reactor.
Iran will complete the agreement's implementation by May 15.