By Xinhua
Munich, Germany : The UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been making “good progress” to solve Iran’s nuclear crisis.
“Good progress” has been made in finishing the outstanding issues on Iran’s controversial nuclear programs, ElBaradei told a group of high-profile diplomats at a key security conference in the southern German city of Munich.
ElBaradei is expected to issue a report around Feb. 20 on IAEA’s inquiry into Iran’s nuclear activities.
The UN nuclear chief urged western nations to start direct negotiations with Iran, instead of using sanctions and military threats, to solve the crisis.
“Confidence building can only be attained by direct negotiations,” ElBaradei said.
Some countries, including the United States, has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, which has been repeatedly denied by Tehran.
Meanwhile, the world’s major countries are mulling a third sanction resolution against Iran after the UN Security Council adopted two resolutions — one in December 2006 and the other in March 2007 –to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment, a potential way to nuclear weapons.
Iran has defied the possible new sanctions, saying Tehran would show “serious and logical reaction” if the Security Council issued a third resolution.
The three-day security meeting, which kicked off on Friday, is scheduled to discuss a range of the world’s most thorny issues.
The annual conference was attended by high-profile diplomats including NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana this year.