Iran had made progress in the explanation of certain questions
concerning its controversial nuclear program, International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammed El-Baradei said in Bratislava,
capital of Slovakia on Friday.
After meeting with Slovak Foreign Minister Jan Kubis in
Bratislava, Baradei said he hoped that Iran would continue to show
maximal transparency in order to dispel all fears of the
international community and meet the U.N. Security Council's
demands, the Czech news agency CTK reported.
The international community's relations with Iran would only
normalize when all the fears are dispelled, he said.
Baradei declined to comment on the possible further sanctions
against Iran, pointing out that it would be a political decision by
the Security Council.
Kubis said that Iran could face new sanctions and that support
for these sanctions was being discussed at the European Union.
"We have not yet registered Iran fulfilling the Security
Council's previous resolution," Kubis said.
At the same day, Baradei also met representatives of the Slovak
Economy and Education ministries.
They discussed the planned shutdown of the second unit in the V1
block of the Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant, the planned
completion of two new blocks at the Mochovce nuclear power plant,
and the considered construction of a new power plant.
Baradei said the IAEA had no reservations about safety of the
Slovak nuclear facilities.
IAEA had no critical comments on the reliability and safety of
the Slovak nuclear program, he added.
Safety is a permanent process and it cannot stop, he said,
adding that he called on his Slovak colleagues to continue
cooperation.
(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2008)
