El Baradei to meet Iran's new negotiator on Friday - IAEA
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-26 15:49

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed el Baradei, is to meet with newly-appointed Iranian chief nuclear negotiator on Friday on Tehran's nuclear program, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.

"I can confirm that Ali Larijani is coming and that he will be meeting with Dr. el Baradei tomorrow morning," announced IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming on Thursday.

El Baradei and Larijani "will be discussing safeguard implementation issues," she said without elaborating.

Larijani,former Iranian minister of culture and head of state broadcasting body, was appointed the country's chief nuclear negotiator on August15 by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in replacement of Hassan Rowhani.

Larijani and Iran's new foreign minister,Manuchehr Mottaki,are considered key officials in handling the nuclear issue with both IAEA and the European Union (EU) in the coming four years.

Iran resumed uranium conversion activities, a preparatory step for the enrichment, on August 8 and harshly rejected the call for a halt by Britain, France and Germany, the European trio negotiating with Tehran on behalf of the EU.

Tehran has also defied IAEA's resolution which urges Iran to reinstate full suspension of all enrichment-related activities.

While insisting that the disputes on Iran's uranium conversion activities have been concluded, the country has repeatedly said it is ready to continue talks with the EU, which has threatened to raise the issue with the UN Security Council.

Mottaki said recently after being nominated to the new cabinet that he would seek to promote "balanced ties with various countries" and would publicly announce the latest developments in Iran's nuclear dossier as soon as he assumed office.

One day after his appointment, Larijani said Iran would "never give up its plans to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle," but was willing to continue talks with the EU.

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