Soltanieh: Iran against any measure leading to nuclear apartheid

Vienna, Dec 4, IRNA – Iran’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Iran was opposed to any move which would result in nuclear apartheid.

He made the remark in the Friday night meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in reaction to a proposal by the US and a number of other western countries on formation of a nuclear fuel bank.

He said the fact that the proposal was not welcomed by all the IAEA member states proved that it was generally looked upon as a move to tighten technological and scientific monopoly and create a nuclear apartheid so it stood in sharp contradiction with the inalienable right of countries which was emphasized in the Non-Proliferation Treaty and thus was not acceptable.

The Iranian official further highlighted the legal deficiencies which the proposal contained in violation of the very basic principles stated in the NPT and the IAEA constitution, adding that any proposal should recognize countries’ undeniable right to development, research and production of nuclear fuel to be used for peaceful purposes.

He said the way countries implement their rights to nuclear technology is a matter of their own choice./end