Nuclear Spokesman:

Iran Will Come in Full Control over Bushehr NPP Next Year

Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said his organization will be the sole controller of the Bushehr nuclear power plant next year.

News ID: 60013

Date: 24 September 2014 - 13:00

Kamalvandi made the remarks during his address to the 58 Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in

Vienna on Tuesday.

The following is the text of Mr. Kamalvandi, who is also the AEOI's Vice-Chairman and heads the Iranian delegation at the conference.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. President,

Distinguished Delegates,

At the outset, I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate you Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of this Conference. I assure you of my delegation’s full support as we look forward to successful outcomes of the conference under your leadership.

Also, I welcome the Union of the Comoros, Republic of Djibouti, Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Vanuatu as new Member States of the IAEA.

Mr. President,

We are participating in an important annual conference of IAEA to promote peaceful application of nuclear energy and also to tackle challenges in this context. As we know, global population will continue to increase by 2 billion over the next thirty years. In order to meet growing demand for energy and dealing with climate change consequences, my country like some other IAEA Member States, has chosen nuclear energy to meet the mentioned demands.

The Islamic Republic of Iran with huge investment in education, science and technology has greatly progressed. In this regard, my country has long started a civilian nuclear program with the cooperation of the Agency. As a result of a comprehensive national program, we have made great achievements in different nuclear civil applications that are being used in medical, agricultural and industrial fields. Iran is ready to share its achievements with Member States, especially with developing countries under the IAEA statute.

In pursuing Iran’s long-term policy, in September 2011 Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant was successfully connected to the national grid two years later, management of the plant was officially handed over to Iran. The power plant, which is under the supervision of the Iran regulatory authorities, is now operating by Iranian staff with the assistance of Russian specialists. Next year Iranian operator will have sole control of the plant. The first refueling of the reactor was successfully completed in last July 2014 and since then the power plant despite constrains imposed on my country is operating continuously in full capacity and all safety aspects of Bushehr Power Plant have been carefully observed under supervision of Iran Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Mr. President

We acknowledge IAEA’s function in the area of Technical Cooperation in accordance with Article 2 of the Statute, and in this regard, Agency’s role in capacity building in Member States through Technical Cooperationin particular on promoting and facilitating National, regional and inter regional cooperation is vital.

For a successful implementation of TC projects, the Member States, specifically from developing countries, need to be supported through providing equipment and qualified expertise.The Agency is expected to facilitate procurement of material and equipment by member States, particularly in the field of nuclear safety.

Mr. President,

We would like to emphasize on importance of the development of Nuclear Safety Standards and Nuclear Security series publications, in recent years. In this regard, since these two Committees have a major role, all Member States should be somehow involved in these committees, and the Agency is expected to facilitate for participation and larger contribution of Member States in respected meetings. We expect the Agency to provide without any discrimination the ground for participation of experts of all Member States in the relevant meetings. It is important that the Agency facilitate the activities for further contribution to promoting safety, knowledge sharing, capacity building and improving cooperation among Member States.

The Resolutions of previous General Conference including GC (57)/RES/10 emphasize on the need for the participation of all Member States of the Agency in any nuclear security related initiatives in an inclusive manner. It is regretful that the host countries of the Nuclear Security Summits, by adopting a selective approach in contravention of the afore-mentioned Resolutions, did not respect this commitment. The Islamic Republic of Iran while expressing its serious concern does not recognizes reflection of any documents or outcome of these summits in the relevant meetings of the Agency.

Mr. President,

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns acts of industrial sabotage against nuclear facilities that could have dangerous consequences on nuclear safety of installation and might result in trans-boundary release of radioactive substances. We recently held an exhibition of discovered acts and failed attempts of sabotage, cyber-attacks and espionage in our nuclear industries in Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran also condemns all terrorist activities, including brutal assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists. The latest belligerent incursion of spy drone over civilian nuclear facility in Natanz by the Zionist regime is in full contravention against the national sovereignty of my country. It constitutes violation of the IAEA GC resolutions, international law and needs to be strongly condemned.

Mr. President,

On the State Level Concept (SLC), while Iran supports the implementation of IAEA Safeguards and its verification activities, the Agency is expected to assure that the national sovereignties of Member States are not jeopardized. In this vein, my delegation is of the view that development and implementation of SLC for a Member State should exclusively be upon its agreement and in close consultation with Member State concerned taking fully into account its views and observations. It is our understanding that if in the course of development or implementation of SLC, it proves to imply any new obligations either for Member States with CSA in force or for the Agency, beyond the existing ones in their respective safeguards agreements, or any modification in the interpretation of their existing rights and obligations, it would equal to a new agreement between the Agency and the Member states with CSA in force which shall be negotiated and agreed upon, and subsequently be subject to ratification by each Member State according to its respective constitutional process. Furthermore, SLC should not lead to discriminatory implementation of Agency’s activities in Member States. One paramount issue in the SLC is the safeguards relevant information. In this regard, use of open source information has led, in the past, to some conclusions based on misleading and false information. It should also be underlined that in light of questions and concerns raised by some Member States, it seems that it still needs more work to reach any conclusion on the issue and therefore, we encourage the secretariat to continue its consultation with Member States to clarify and remove the remaining ambiguities and concerns.

Mr. President,

Undoubtedly, the continued existence of thousands of nuclear weapons poses grave danger to human and humanity. A clear time frame with a target date for the full implementation of Article VI of the NPT, namely 2025 as proposed by the Non-Aligned Movement at NPT Review Conference in 2010, is an urgent need. In this regard, we call upon the United States and other Nuclear Weapon States to promptly adopt and implement necessary measures for unequivocal and absolute removal of role of nuclear weapons in all military and security concepts, doctrines and policies. The international community cannot wait forever to witness a world free from nuclear weapons.

Establishing the “Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone” in the Middle East, Iran’s 1974 initiative as a step towards a world free from nuclear weapons has not so far been realized due to non-adherence of Israeli Zionist regime to the NPT. Unfortunately, the Conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of Nuclear Weapons and all other Weapons of Mass Destruction, planned to be held in 2012, despite unanimous decision of the NPT 2010 Review Conference has not been organized by the conveners with the ill intention to rescue Israeli regime from International condemnation. It certainly undermines the NPT credibility as well as 2015 Review process.

Despite global concerns on Zionist regime nuclear capabilities and various calls by the International Community demonstrated in the 1995 NPT Resolution on the Middle East, related resolutions of the General Assembly, the IAEA and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, this regime has neither acceded to the NPT nor placed its underground nuclear facilities under the scope of IAEA Safeguards.

Mr. President,

Since the election of President Rouhani, Iranian foreign policy based on constructive interaction and mutual respect has created new opportunities and reached major achievements in a rather short time. Iran's full cooperation with the Agency, sometimes even beyond safeguards agreement and implementing voluntary measures under "Joint Plan of Action" and "Framework for Cooperation" demonstrate Iran’s goodwill and genuine efforts to clarify some fabricated ambiguities, if any, regarding its peaceful nuclear activities.

By doing so, Iran expects the Agency to appreciate such voluntary measures and facilitate the full exercise of Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear energy. The “Joint Plan of Action” agreed between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Group of 5+1 countries in Geneva is an opportunity for cooperation and the reestablishment of mutual confidence. Director General’s reports have indicated in numerous occasions, including the recent report (GOV/2014/43), that Iran's nuclear activities have remained exclusively peaceful under the full-scope safeguards of the IAEA. Iran has also implemented, pursuant to the Framework of Cooperation, three sets of voluntary practical measures (GOV/2014/43& GOV/INF/2014/21). My country continues to work with the Agency on implementing all of agreed measures.

Today a window of opportunity is open to reaching a comprehensive solution and our commitment to reach such a goal is unquestionable. However, measures such as sanctions or double standard approaches certainly harm the negotiation process and cause further mistrust. We expect our counterparts to take constructive and realistic approaches in the current negotiations and fully respect rights of Iran to peaceful uses of nuclear energy and its research & development activities, thus hopefully putting an end to an unnecessary crisis.

In principle, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance on the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction was expressed through religious decree or Fatwa issued by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Addressing at the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran on August 30, 2012, the Supreme Leader once again stated that: “The Islamic Republic of Iran consider the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons to be a grave and unforgivable sin. He added “our motto is: nuclear energy for all and nuclear weapon for none”.

Mr. President,

In Conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to maintain its peaceful nuclear program under the IAEA Safeguards and in this respect, we hope that through reasonable negotiations and goodwill of all sides a new horizon of further cooperation would be opened.

I would like to emphasize on the importance of a broader cooperation between Member States in different fields’ in particular nuclear safety and technical cooperation which ultimately could serve our nations’ welfare.

Once again, my delegation wishes a successful outcome for this important conference.

Source: Farsnews.com