Iran, IAEA Hold “Fruitful” Talks in Vienna

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri-Kani hailed what he called “fruitful discussions” with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi in Austria.

In a meeting in Vienna on Thursday, the Iranian deputy minister and the UN nuclear watchdog discussed future cooperation among other topics.

In a post in his Twitter account after the meeting, Baqeri-Kani said he had “fruitful discussions with Grossi aimed at continuation of technical cooperation between Iran and IAEA.”

He added that during the meeting, he “confirmed the resolute intention of Iran to actively and positively engage in the talks in Vienna.”

The “Agency has a positive technical role to play” in Vienna talks, the top Iranian negotiator added.

Following the meeting, Baqeri-Kani told Iran’s official IRNA news agency that his talks with Grossi focused on future cooperation between Iran and the Agency.

Iran’s permanent mission to Vienna also tweeted that during the meeting the “two sides discussed issues of mutual interest in a constructive atmosphere.”

“Iran expressed its genuine intention to continue its close cooperation with the IAEA as well as active engagement in Vienna talks,” it added.

Grossi met and conferred with head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on November 23.

Grossi’s trip came ahead of the meeting of the 35-nation Board of Governors as well as the much-anticipated talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on the removal of US sanctions on Iran.

The IAEA chief had earlier complained that he had “no contact” with the new Iranian administration of Ebrahim Raisi.

Tehran dismissed the claim, saying that on the contrary, he had had close consultations with both the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Iranian embassy in Vienna.

Envoys from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries began on Monday the seventh round of the talks in the Austrian capital to discuss ways for the removal of US sanctions and reviving the JCPOA.

Former US president Donald Trump left the JCPOA in May 2018 and re-imposed the anti-Iran sanctions that the deal had lifted. He also placed additional sanctions on Iran under other pretexts not related to the nuclear case as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign.