IAEA chief urges Iran to grant access to military siteSeptember 10, 2012 - 13:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN nuclear watchdog chief pressed Iran on Monday, Sept 10, to grant his inspectors access "without further delay" to a military site where they believe Tehran may have conducted explosives tests relevant to the development of nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said "activities" which had taken place at the Parchin facility - a reference to suspected clean-up work there - would have an "adverse impact" on the IAEA's investigation, if and when it was allowed to go there. Iran told the agency in a letter last month that the allegation of nuclear-linked work at Parchin, located southeast of the capital Tehran, was "baseless," Amano told the 35-nation governing board of the IAEA, according to a copy of his speech. "However, the activities observed further strengthen our assessment that it is necessary to have access to the location at Parchin without further delay in order to obtain the required clarifications," he said. Amano said "no concrete results" had been achieved in a series of meetings between senior IAEA officials and Iran since January aimed at allaying concerns of possible military dimensions to Tehran's nuclear program. "This is frustrating ... We consider it essential for Iran to engage with us without further delay on the substance of our concerns," Amano said. "Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation to enable us to ... conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |