4 Jun 2012

IAEA / AMANO

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency today announced new talks with Iran, to take place in Vienna on Friday. IAEA

Posted at: June 4, 2012 1:16 pm

Duration: 02:06

Available in: SD

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STORY: IAEA / AMANO
TRT: 2.06
SOURCE: IAEA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 4 JUNE 2012, VIENNA, AUSTRIA / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

4 JUNE, VIENNA AUSTRIA

2. Wide shot, delegates in room before Board of Governors meeting
3. Med shot, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA
4. Wide shot, Board of Governors meeting
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Yukiya Amano, Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
"I was assured that agreement on the structured approach would be expedited and that the remaining differences between Iran and the Agency would not be an obstacle to reaching agreement. I wish to inform the Board that a meeting between Iran and the Agency has been scheduled for 8 June in Vienna. I invite Iran to sign and implement the Structured Approach document as soon as possible and to provide early access to the Parchin site." 
7. Med shot, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's envoy to the IAEA listening
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Yukiya Amano, Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
"Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the Agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities. I urge Iran to take steps towards the full implementation of all relevant obligations in order to establish international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme."
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Yukiya Amano, Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
"Since an attempt by the DPRK to launch a 'satellite', quote unquote, the Agency has been carefully monitoring the situation. Through recent contacts with the DPRK, it has become clear that there is no immediate prospect of an Agency mission taking place."
11. Pan left, audience to podium

STORYLINE:

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency today (4 June) announced new talks with Iran, to take place in Vienna on Friday.

In a statement delivered to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Director-General Yukiya Amano said that on his recent trip to Tehran, the agency and Iran had agreed on a Structured Approach document. He said he was "assured that agreement on the structured approach would be expedited and that the remaining differences between Iran and the Agency would not be an obstacle to reaching agreement."

He informed the Board that a meeting between Iran and the Agency has been scheduled for 8 June in Vienna, and invited Iran to sign and implement the Structured Approach document as soon as possible and to provide early access to the Parchin site.

Amano went on to report that while the IAEA continued to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement, Iran was "not providing the necessary cooperation to enable the Agency to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities". He urged Iran to "take steps towards the full implementation of all relevant obligations".

On North Korea, Amano recalled that in March, he had responded with a "readiness to follow up" when the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had invited the IAEA to visit the country and discuss technical issues with regard to the monitoring of a moratorium on uranium enrichment activities at Yongbyon. However, he said that since North Korea's attempted launch of a "satellite, quote unquote", the Agency had been "carefully monitoring the situation". It had become clear from recent contacts with the country that "there is no immediate prospect of an Agency mission taking place."

Amano also provided an update on the progress of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, which was unanimously endorsed by IAEA Member States following last year's accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, and talked about the Agency's 2012 focus on nuclear applications related to food, which will also be the topic of this year's Scientific Forum, an annual event that takes place during the IAEA General Conference in September.

The 35-nation Board of Governors is meeting to discuss the IAEA's work on nuclear verification, safety, security and the peaceful use of nuclear technologies. The Board, which meets five times a year at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, is the IAEA's policymaking body.