Iran Ready to Start Talks on Snap Nuke Inspections

[Judi Lynn]

Iran Ready to Start Talks on Snap Nuke Inspections
Thu August 28, 2003 04:45 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on Thursday the Islamic Republic was ready to start talks on allowing snap U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites which Washington says are used to develop weapons.

The United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States have all urged Tehran to sign an Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to allow U.N. inspectors more access to Iran's atomic energy sites.

But Tehran insists the international community should agree to allow Iran access to technology for what it says is its purely peaceful, civilian nuclear program before it signs.

"We have written to the director-general (of the International Atomic Energy Agency) saying we are ready to start negotiations on the Additional Protocol," Kharrazi told CNN from Japan.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian energy program and questions why Iran, OPEC's second biggest oil producer and with the second biggest gas reserves in the world, would want nuclear power. (snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3349303