IAEA, Iran look to revive cooperation under 2023 agreement
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The joint statement, announced in March last year, is an "important document" which sets out the terms for cooperation on inspections and safeguards in Iran as well as specifying "additional steps" to be taken by the parties, and still stands, Grossi said in a joint press conference with Iranian Vice-President and President of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami. "Today we agreed to continue this document," Grossi said, adding that he had submitted a proposal to the Islamic Republic of Iran including "a set of operational steps that define our path in moving forward".
Eslami also described the joint statement as a good basis for establishing interactions between the IAEA and the AEOI. In a statement issued by the AEOI, he acknowledged that the "process of interactions" between the two agencies had slowed, and both sides had expressed their dissatisfaction with this. "But today, according to the review we had on the achievements of that statement, the hope was created that from now on we will follow the baseline based on a common continuity and interaction," he added.
In an airport press conference on his return to Vienna on Tuesday, Grossi said initial progress under the March 2023 statement "slowed down almost to the point of stopping", leading to a "long period" in which the parties had not been talking directly to each other and which he described as "extremely negative".
His aim was "to re-engage, to have a serious conversation, and to start analysing a number of concrete proposals, which could fit into the different areas that this joint statement covers", he added.
Discussions had been held on various issues including points needing clarification from Iran, and further, voluntary measures that Iran could adopt. The conversation is "ongoing", he said: "So, what I would say is that we are engaged in … trying to define what can be done, soonest, I would say, so that we can start, delivering on some of these aspects."
Grossi said it would not be "appropriate" for him to describe these proposals other than in general terms at this stage until they have been agreed, apart from saying they are connected with uranium enrichment and with "access to certain facilities". He confirmed that the discussions had also addressed the designation of IAEA inspectors: Iran announced in September 2023 a decision to withdraw the designation of several experienced IAEA inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in Iran under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Safeguards Agreement, a move which at the time was described by Grossi as an "unnecessary blow" to an already strained relationship.
Grossi would not specify a timeframe for finalising new proposals, but said the IAEA - and the international community - needs results sooner rather than later. "And this is something that was very clearly expressed by me in Tehran and in Isfahan. And I think there is an understanding in Tehran that this is not something that can continue, forever. So we expect, I certainly expect, to start having some concrete results soon," he said.
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