IAEA calls for cooperation on regional nuclear issues

VIENNA, Sept. 7, (Xinhua) - The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei Monday called for cooperation from Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Syria to solve issues concerning their nuclear programs.

International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei attends a board of governors meeting in Vienna September 7, 2009. A senior Iranian official has accused the United States of feeding "forged"  intelligence to the U.N. nuclear watchdog that says Iran had studied ways to make atomic bombs. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Speaking here at a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, ElBaradei said Iran had cooperated with the Agency in improving safeguards measures at the Fuel Enrichment Plant and in providing the required access to the Iran Nuclear Research Reactor(IR-40) at Arak for purposes of design information verification.

However, he also pointed out that Iran had not suspended its enrichment related activities or its work on heavy water related projects as required by the Security Council, nor has Iran implemented the Additional Protocol.

ElBaradei proposed three key areas relevant to Iran's nuclear program that need to be addressed: "At first, and specifically, Iran needs to respond fully to all the questions raised by the Agency in order to exclude the possibility of there being military dimensions to its nuclear program."