By IRNA,
Berlin : The European Union has acknowledged receipt of Iran’s invitation to send representatives accredited to the International Atomic Energy Agency to see its nuclear sites, German press said on Tuesday.
‘We can confirm receipt of the letter by our ambassador to the IAEA …,’ a spokesman for the European Commission was quoted as saying in Brussels.
‘We will respond in due course after consulting with our international partners … What is also needed is that progress is made in the resumed dialogue between the two parties,’ the EU official said.
The new series of talks between Iran and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany has focused on international concerns about nuclear arms and the requirement for the nuclear weapons states to dismantle their stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction according to the timetable set by the United Nations.
Iran has expressed concern about procrastination of the nuclear weapons states to disarm and said that their refusal to dismantle WMDs has jeopardized the international peace and security.
Representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 (permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) are scheduled to meet in Istanbul late January.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast announced plans for inviting the EU and Non-Aligned countries representatives to IAEA to tour Iranian nuclear installations.
Mehmanparast reiterated such a move was in line with Iran’s previous measures aimed at highlighting its transparent and peaceful nuclear activities.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based IAEA Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, in separate letters to several ambassadors to the UN nuclear watchdog, invited them to tour Iran’s nuclear sites.
Mehmanparast made clear Tehran’s invitation ahead of the upcoming Istanbul meeting proved his country’s goodwill.