IAEA: Iran Plant Conforms to Agency’s Safeguards, US: No Problem with Bushehr

Al Manar

27/10/2010 The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency says the activities at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran all conform with IAEA safeguards. “Preparations, activities at Bushehr are going on under IAEA safeguards,” Yukiya Amano was quoted by Reuters as saying.
 
His remarks came as Iran started loading fuel assemblies into the core of the Bushehr facility’s reactor on Tuesday.
 
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters after visiting the facility that Iran would continue its peaceful nuclear program. He added that the Bushehr nuclear power station is ‘exceptional’ when it comes to safety as Iran, Russia and the IAEA have all contributed to ensuring the safety of the facility.
 
Salehi also underlined that Iran is ready to answer any possible questions on its nuclear program that may be raised by the IAEA “only if those questions concern the agency’s safeguards.”
 
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that the United States has no problem with Iran’s Russian-built Bushehr nuclear reactor plant but with other sites like Natanz and the secret facility at Qom where “weapons work may be underway”.
 
“I heard some of the news coverage that, you know, oh my goodness the Iranians are starting their reactor. That is not the issue,” she told reporters at a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger.
 
“They are entitled to peaceful civilian nuclear power. They are not entitled to nuclear weapons,” Clinton added.
 
Clinton emphasized that Russia’s work on the Bushehr light-water reactor was separate from the long-running international standoff with Tehran over its nuclear ambitions.
 
“What they (Iran) are doing is starting a reactor that is — based on everything we know about it, and everything that the Russians have informed us about it since they have worked with the Iranians over many years to build this reactor — strictly for peaceful purposes,” Clinton said.
 
Spindelegger said there were signs Iran was ready to come to the negotiating table. Clinton confirmed that Washington also hoped Tehran would resume negotiations with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China on an offer of incentives in exchange for Iran halting enrichment.
 
She said she hoped that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton could soon launch “an in-depth negotiation (with Iran) over their nuclear program” on behalf of the six powers.

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