By IRNA,
Vienna : IAEA chief Muhamed Elbaradei focusing on Iran and Syria’s nuclear programs said here Monday at IAEA’s Technical Committee materializing countries’ rights cannot be blocked while other issues are under scrutiny.
The UN nuclear watchdog head issued an oral declaration at Monday morning session of the committee that was convened to survey the technical cooperation projects among IAEA member countries after a declaration issued by the EU, Canada and the United States in which they had asked for imposing further restrictions against Iran and Syria.
ElBaradei said that both the Iranian and the Syrian nuclear programs are fully within the framework of the legal and technical specifications of the IAEA and, safeguard measures and treaties, adding that there is no legal basis for disapproving of them.
The Secretary General of the IAEA further emphasized in his oral declaration that technical cooperation is the main axis of the IAEA’s activities and cannot be put at stake resorting to accusations and speculations.
Focusing on Syria’s status, Elbaradei said that stand taking towards Syria is under survey but that would not block the path for the IAEA’s technical cooperation with Damascus in its nuclear program.
The IAEA chief added that the golden rule is that everyone is innocent, unless it is proved they are guilty and therefore, it would be quite illogical and irrational to deprive countries of their absolute rights merely because there are certain surveys underway.
Pointing out that the IAEA’s letter of association clearly points out the penalties for different violations, he said that it is like the case in 1981 that Israel was deprived of technical cooperation of the IAEA in accordance with its Article 19 after its air attack against Iraq’s Ozirak Nuclear Reactor.
ElBaradei further emphasized, “Therefore, no country can be deprived of the IAEA’s technical cooperation outside the barriers of the IAEA rules and regulations.”