Soltaniyeh: US putting hurdles on IAEA path

22 September 2008

Vienna-Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh said Monday that US has created deadlock for the Agency.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, Soltaniyeh said, "Today it became clear for the Board of Governors that the original documents and even a copy of the documents regarding alleged studies have not been presented to the Agency."

He complained, "How can we question a country without having offered the principal document to them (the IAEA officials)? Mr. ElBaradei today asked the US to present the original documents to the Agency."

He said the US has created deadlock for the IAEA and the international community, bringing the Agency's technical activities to a halt.

He added that the US has created problems in the verification process and technical activities of the secretariat by refusing to offer the original so-called documents.

"A member has been accused by another member without presentation of any documents on the accused claim."

He stressed that the trend can no longer persist.

"The US will become further isolated with such a behavior," he added.