30 January 2010 / REUTERS, DAVOS
The UN nuclear agency chief said on Friday dialogue is continuing on a draft deal on enriched uranium between Iran and world powers despite Tehran’s rejection of terms meant to prevent the material being used for atomic bombs.
“The proposal is on the table. Dialogue is continuing,” said Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in his first public remarks on the standoff since he succeeded Mohamed ElBaradei two months ago. Amano, who was attending the World Economic Forum, did not elaborate to reporters. Western diplomats have said Iran has effectively rejected the IAEA-brokered proposal and they are pursuing broader UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Diplomats familiar with IAEA contacts with Iran told Reuters last week Tehran had notified the UN agency that it could not accept central aspects of the draft deal. This followed months of dismissive or ambiguous remarks made through the media. The United States quickly dismissed Tehran’s reply as “inadequate.”
