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Date
: 18/06/2003
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: Minty: Meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Board of Governors
STATEMENT BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR ABDUL S MINTY, AT THE MEETING OF THE
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) BOARD OF GOVERNORS,
Tehran, Iran, 18 June 2003
Madam Chairperson,
My delegation wishes to thank the Director-General for his
insightful report as contained in GOV/2003/40 - on the
implementation of the safeguards agreement in the Islamic Republic
of Iran. At the outset I would also like to express our
appreciation for the co-operation that has thus far been extended
to the Director-General and his staff by the Iranian
authorities.
As my delegation has already stated at the March 2003 meeting of
the Board of Governors, we recognise and support the legitimate
right of all states to utilise the atom for peaceful purposes.
Based on our own experience and capabilities we believe that
ownership of the capabilities that could be utilised to develop
nuclear weapons places a special responsibility on the States
concerned. The Agency has to be able to verify that all such
capabilities are being used for peaceful purposes only, including
through the mechanisms available under the Additional Protocol for
strengthened safeguards. Having taken the responsibility that
accrues from being in possession of the capabilities that could be
used to develop nuclear weapons, it is our view that States must
also accept the responsibility of building confidence with the
international community that would remove any concerns about
nuclear weapons proliferation. This requires full transparency,
which implies total co-operation with the Agency. It is of course
particularly important for those States that have developed full
nuclear fuel cycles.
Madam Chairperson,
In the case of the capabilities being developed by Iran, South
Africa has studied the report of the Director-General and noted the
concern expressed in relation to the failures mentioned and
welcomes the fact that these are in the process of being rectified
by Iran.
We have earlier expressed our appreciation of the action taken by
the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for inviting the
Director-General to that country to discuss Iran's plans for the
use of nuclear power. We commend Iran for allowing the
Director-General and his team to visit a number of facilities in
that country and welcome the subsequent enhanced co-operation
between the government of Iran and the Agency.
We are confident that this enhanced co-operation will continue and
the remaining questions will be clarified soon, so that the
situation is rectified.
We are encouraged by Iran's readiness to conclude an Additional
Protocol with the Agency and hope that this will be done as soon as
possible.
My delegation is fully supportive of the actions undertaken by the
IAEA to date and commend the Director-General for all his efforts
and look forward to an early resolution of this matter.
I thank you.
For more information, please contact Ms Nomfanelo Kota on 012)
351 0264, 082 377 7208
Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
18 June 2003
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