Amano, who had traveled to Tehran for a one-day visit, made the remarks after a two-hour meeting with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, who is the country’s chief nuclear negotiator.

  

The Iranian ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, participated in the meeting.  

 

IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards Herman Nackaerts and Assistant Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi accompanied Amano during his first trip to Iran since he assumed the post on December 1, 2009. 

 

Amano told reporters that he had held extensive and intensive talks with Iranian officials in good atmosphere, adding that he is committed to helping resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program through dialogue.  

 

A range of issues, including nuclear disarmament, peaceful use of nuclear energy, and cooperation between Iran and the agency, were discussed, he stated.  

 

Iranian and IAEA officials also discussed the need to adopt a systematic approach, he said, adding that there are things left to be done.

 

However, this cannot prevent the talks from continuing, Amano added.

 

The IAEA director general went on to say that the progress of talks between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog will definitely have a positive effect on the next round of talks between Tehran and the six major powers. 

 

Of course, these are two different issues, but they can underpin each other. 

 

Tehran and the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) held a new round of talks in Istanbul on April 14, breaking a 15-month hiatus in talks, and agreed to meet again in Baghdad on May 23. 

 

Asked why the IAEA is not seeking to devise a modality to help clear up ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear activities quickly, Amano said that he would not go into details, but the agency has some viewpoints and Iran has its own specific viewpoints.  

 

Iran will continue to cooperate with IAEA  

 

Jalili, after his meeting with Amano, told reporters that the framework of cooperation between the agency and the countries that are signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must be in such a way that their rights are defended.   

 

And the IAEA’s independence prevents these rights from being violated, Jalili added. 

He also mentioned the fatwa (religious edict) that Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has issued declaring that the production, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons are all haram (prohibited in Islam) and said that Iran will continue its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog in the campaign against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. 

 

Amano says IAEA will enhance cooperation with Iran 

 

In addition, Amano held a meeting with Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Director Fereydoun Abbasi in which he said that the agency will enhance cooperation with the country.   

 

According to reports, a number of suggestions were made during the meeting to help clear up ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear program.