Iran said it was ready to remove UN seals from some unclear
sites on Monday and the decision has drawn criticism from the
West.
Iran's decision was "the wrong step in the wrong direction and
is a cause of very serious concern," warned Austrian Foreign
Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country currently holds the
European Union (EU)'s presidency.
Iran confirmed on Sunday it would implement the decision to
resume nuclear fuel research on Monday and called on the EU to
avoid the language of threats.
"Seals on Iran's nuclear research sites will be removed
tomorrow," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said.
The spokesman insisted that nuclear research should not be
viewed as equal to the actual production, and the research will be
under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
Iran said it had informed the IAEA of its decision to resume
nuclear fuel research, which had been suspended for nearly two anda
half years.
In response, IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei said it was important
for Tehran to keep suspension of all uranium enrichment related
activities in place in order to build confidence for talks.
(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2006)
