Vienna - North Korea's plans to restart a nuclear facility
as well as Iran's reluctance in clearing its nuclear past will be
discussed at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday in Vienna.
The debate will come a day after US president George W Bush told
the United Nations General Assembly in New York that the world 'must
remain vigilant against proliferation by fully implementing the terms
of Security Council (resolutions) and enforcing sanctions against
North Korea and Iran.'
On Monday, the 35 members of the IAEA Board of Governors were
informed that North Korea wanted IAEA seals and cameras removed at
the Yongbyong nuclear complex, with a view to restarting its
plutonium reprocessing facility.
The IAEA has a mandate to monitor the nuclear freeze that North
Korea agreed to with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and
South Korea, in exchange for energy aid and an easing of sanctions.
Diplomats expect the US and the European Union to issue strong
statements on Iran at the IAEA board Wednesday, after the country has
not provided information about alleged studies that could indicate a
nuclear weapons effort.
Contrary to resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,
Tehran also refuses to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
While the IAEA board is not expected to issue a resolution on
Iran, the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany have
started discussing further steps to be taken in the Security Council.
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