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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 17, 2003

El Baradei: Iran allows inspection without notice

The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog chief said Thursday Iran had vowed to answer outstanding concerns about its nuclear programme and accept tougher inspections of its sites, where Washington claims bombs could be made.


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The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog chief said Thursday Iran had vowed to answer outstanding concerns about its nuclear programme and accept tougher inspections of its sites, where Washington claims bombs could be made.

But Mohamed El Baradei added that despite agreeing to let inspectors visit facilities without notice, Iranian officials still had misgivings about signing the Additional Protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

El Baradei's visit comes just two weeks before an October 31 UN deadline for Iran to disprove US-led claims it has a secret atomic weapons programme. Failure to do so could see Iran's case referred to the UN Security Council in November.

El Baradei arrived in Teheran overnight warning that Iran had still not provided the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with the full disclosure it was seeking.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Teheran with Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief Hassan Rohani, El Baradei said: "I was assured by Dr Rohani that the Islamic Republic of Iran will clarify all the outstanding issues for us to be able to verify all aspects of Iran's nuclear activities."

Iran insists its nuclear programme is geared solely to generating electricity from nuclear reactors.

El Baradei said Rohani had "expressed Iran's willingness to sign the Additional Protocol" on tougher inspections but still had some "apprehensions" about how the protocol would work.

Opponents of signing the protocol claim that it would be tantamount to sanctioning spying on the country. Government officials have voiced concerns that inspectors could visit military or religious sites.

"I made it very clear that all these apprehensions are unfounded. I mean the protocol is never meant in any way to compromise state sovereignty, security, dignity and technology development," El Baradei said.

Asked by reporters whether Iran was optimistic about signing the protocol, Rohani said: "It will all become clear in the negotiations, but of course, I'm not pessimistic."


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