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Iran will remain IAEA member

26 November 2011 19:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An Iranian lawmaker says Majlis (parliament) has decided that Tehran should remain a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to export nuclear services to other countries, APA reports quoting Press TV.

Member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Javad Karimi-Qoddousi said it was concluded in the last meeting of the committee attended by representatives from the Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization that we should not view the UN nuclear agency in light of recent events.

â€œ[We decided that] we must use this international organization (IAEA) to [establish] long-term scientific and constructive interaction with other countries,â€ he said.

Karimi-Qoddousi said continued IAEA membership also means easier export of nuclear services.

In its latest report, published on November 8, the IAEA accused Iran of conducting activities related to developing nuclear weapons before 2003, adding that these activities â€œmay still be ongoing.â€

Iran has dismissed the report as "unbalanced, unprofessional and prepared with political motivation and under political pressure by mostly the United States."

The US, Israel and their allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and have used this allegation as a pretext to convince the UN Security Council to impose four rounds of sanctions on Iran.

Tehran has categorically refuted Western allegations, saying that as a signatory to the NPT, it has the right to acquire and develop atomic technology for peaceful purposes.