Iran to send delegation to Vienna for talks with IAEA, says FM Abdollahian

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that an Iranian delegation will travel to Vienna in the coming days for talks on enhancing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), state media reported.

Speaking to a joint press conference with his visiting Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran, Amir-Abdollahian on Wednesday added that President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi have agreed on the arrangement.

He expressed hope for progress to be made in the talks as long as the IAEA sticks to a technical approach and follows an agreement it reached with AEOI on the nuclear watchdog's "certain accusations against Iran".

Amir-Abdollahian was referring to the IAEA report of Iran not providing "technically credible explanations" for nuclear activities at three undeclared sites, and the ensuing anti-Iran resolution passed by its Board of Governors in June. Iran has repeatedly said the claims are based on "fabricated and false information".

Besides, indirect exchange of messages still continues between Tehran and Washington over the nuclear talks in Vienna, Amir-Abdollahian noted.

Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for removing sanctions on the country. However, Washington quit the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran in 2018, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact, Xinhua news agency reported.

The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough was achieved after the latest round of talks in early August.

--IANS

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