Jan. 4: Iran is to open its atomic sites to some world powers, officials announced on Tuesday, as the Iranian President, Mr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, insisted that the West was wrong to confront Tehran over its nuclear programme.
The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Mr Ramin Mehmanparast, said in Tehran that invitations to visit Iran’s nuclear sites in Natanz and Arak have been sent to ambassadors of some of the nations represented in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Diplomatic sources at the IAEA in Vienna said that invitations had gone out to Russia and China but that the United States, Britain, France and Germany were not on the guests’ list.
The invitees also include Hungary (in view of its President Pal Schmitt’s being the President of the European Union), Egypt and Cuba, according to sources. The rare move to open up its facilities comes as Tehran works to garner support for its atomic drive in the run-up to talks with the six world powers in Turkey at the end of January.
“The representatives of some European Union countries, NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) and some representatives of the five-plus-one (six world powers) have been invited to visit our nuclear sites,” Mr Mehmanparast told a news conference.
When asked whether the United States was invited for the trip, he said “the list of the countries invited for the visit will be unveiled when it is finalised”.
Mr Mehmanparast said the initiative was part of the Islamic republic’s attempt to demonstrate “cooperation with the IAEA”.