Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, December 14, 2003
Iran to sign nuclear protocol in days
Iran will sign an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the next few days, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said on Saturday. Asked when Iran would sign the additional protocol during a press conference with visiting Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha Kharazi said "in the next few days we will sign it." On Wednesday, Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi said after a cabinet meeting that the government has given permission to the Foreign Ministry to sign the protocol.
Iran will sign an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in the next few days, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said on Saturday. Asked when Iran would sign the additional protocol during a press conference with visiting Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha Kharazi said "in the next few days we will sign it." On Wednesday, Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi said after a cabinet meeting that the government has given permission to the Foreign Ministry to sign the protocol.
Iran agreed with visiting British, French and German foreign ministers on Oct. 21 to sign up the protocol, accept more strict inspections to its nuclear sites, show full transparency of its nuclear program and suspend uranium enrichment.
In accordance with the agreement, Tehran handed overdocumentation of its past and present nuclear activities toInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Oct. 24 and hassuspended its uranium enrichment activities since Nov. 9. Hassan Rowhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said last week that the government would authorize its representative to IAEA to sign the protocol.
An Iranian government spokesman said on Wednesday that after thesignature, the government would send the protocol to parliament forapproval. And if it is approved, it would still need to be approvedby the Guardian Council, a body dominated by conservative clerics.