VOL. XLVI
No 28
14
IRAN
Iran Confirms Stance On Azadegan Talks, Seeks IAEA Clarification On Protocol
Iran has confirmed that negotiations with a Japanese consortium for the development of the Azadegan field will continue, but says it has the right to invite other companies to bid. The official statement followed the passing of the deadline for negotiations at the end of June, and growing political pressure from Washington on Tokyo to link the Azadegan talks to Iran’s acceptance of full access by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to its nuclear sites (MEES, 7 July).
On 7 July the official news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi as saying: “Iran reserves the right to enter into negotiations with other world companies after the expiry of the deadline. Japan has not been ruled out yet and the Japanese are still continuing negotiations. The Oil Ministry will finalize a deal with any country or company which it considers viable, but Japan is not a by-gone issue yet and negotiations are continuing.”
Meanwhile, IAEA Director-General Mohammad al-Baradi'i met with Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, and Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) in Tehran on 9 July. While Iran reiterated that it would not sign the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which would grant full access to nuclear sites, the two sides agreed that a team of senior IAEA officials would remain in Tehran to hold technical discussions on outstanding issues. IRNA on 9 July reported that Mr Aghazadeh said he would prepare a report for the Iranian government before it would decide on signing the additional protocol.