IAEA's Inspectors Arrive in Tehran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors arrived in Tehran on Tuesday and are slated to carry out an inspection of Gachin uranium mine, South of Iran, tomorrow.
The 3-member team of inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog plans to travel to Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas tommorow, a spokesman of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced.
The visit will take place within the framework of the agreement reached between Iran and the IAEA before Iran-Sextet nuclear deal in Geneva.
Iran and the UN nuclear body signed a joint statement in November 2013 to outline a roadmap on bilateral cooperation on certain outstanding issues.
Under the deal, Iran agreed, on a voluntary basis, to allow the IAEA inspectors to visit the Arak heavy water plant and the Gachin uranium mine.
The IAEA inspectors had already visited the Arak heavy water production plant on December 8, 2013.
Earlier on January 5, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi said that the IAEA was pleased with its inspectors' visit to Iran's heavy water plant.
The visit took place within the framework of the agreement reached between Iran and the IAEA before Iran-Sextet nuclear deal in Geneva. In fact, the visits are implementation of two of the provisions of the recent six-article agreement made between Iran and the agency.
The Arak facility produces heavy water intended for use in a nearby research reactor that is under construction.
Under the IAEA Safeguards Agreement, Iran is not obliged to allow such inspections but the voluntary move was a goodwill gesture on the part of Iran to clear up ambiguities over the peaceful nature of its nuclear energy program.
Salehi further hoped for more positive report by the IAEA Director General about the Iranian nuclear program.
