Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad discussed his country's nuclear activities in a meeting on Saturday with the visiting chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei. The Egyptian visitor arrived in the Iranian capital early Friday morning heading an official delegation.
Following the meeting, Ahmadinejad said Iran expects the International Atomic Energy Agency to fulfill its professional duties. He added "Iran is keen to resolve the remaining issues about Iran's nuclear program."
The Iranian leader also expressed the hope that the IAEA to carry out its legal duties in a just way and never be influenced by big powers. Thus, IAEA will attain its real goal, said the Iranian president adding that some countries assume the IAEA is an agency to follow their lead.
Ahmadinejad said that nuclear energy is "God-given" and within the next 20 to 30 years the need of the nations to it would increase many folds, therefore, all opportunities should be seized to take advantage of such energy and that the big powers should give up the slogan that nuclear energy is tantamount to nuclear bomb.
The Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes IAEA as the only legal international body to talk on its nuclear activities, he said. "Of course it does not mean that Iran avoids talking with other countries on various topics," he added.
ElBaradei, for his part, said Iran's nuclear activities are on due course calling for expansion of all-out cooperation between Iran and IAEA.
The UN nuclear watchdog chief has met also with Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili and the IAEO's head Reza Aqazadeh. According to IRNA, ElBaradei said that his talks with Aqazadeh were a "frank and open exchange of views."
Elbaradei was to confer with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei later on Saturday.
