IAEA Chief Says Differences With Tehran May Be Settled Soon - Iranian State Media

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2021) Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are on the path to resolve their differences concerning the nuclear issue, the organization's chief Rafael Grossi said after his one-day trip to Tehran, the Iranian state IRNA news reported Monday.

Grossi evaluated his Sunday meeting with the head of the Iranian nuclear agency, Mohammad Eslami, as frank and constructive, IRNA said. After the talks, the sides issued a joint statement, in which they expressed willingness to maintain cooperation and agreed to allow the IAEA to replace memory cards in the CCTV system at the country's nuclear facilities.

The IAEA chief further noted that his visit served to restore the agency's ties with Tehran and said there were other meetings with Iranian leadership scheduled soon, according to IRNA. Grossi also reaffirmed the IAEA's commitment to finding a long-term solution and expressed hope that the sides could find a way to resolve their differences in the future.

At the same time, Grossi stressed that such consensus was a short-term solution and a way to buy time to promote diplomacy, the news said.

Eslami and Grossi are expected to meet again on the sidelines of the upcoming nuclear energy General Conference in Vienna, set to begin on September 20.