The resolution adopted by the IAEA Board of governors on access to Iran's nuclear facilities can only worsen the situation, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to International Organizations in Vienna, said on Friday.
"The IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution calling on Iran to grant access to 2 sites that the Agency wants to visit. Russia and China voted against it. We are in favor of the IAEA and Iran resolving this problem, but we believe that the resolution can only make it worse, " Ulyanov wrote on Twitter.
Speaking to the IAEA Board of Governors on Monday, the IAEA Director-General Raphael Grossi called on Iran to immediately grant access to two sites that Tehran has not allowed Agency inspectors to visit for more than four months. He also expressed concern that for almost a year, Iran has not entered into a meaningful discussion to clarify issues related to possibly undeclared nuclear materials and nuclear activity.
At the same time, Grossi stressed that the situation with Iran's failure to provide access to a number of facilities on its territory was not related to the implementation of Tehran's nuclear obligations under the JCPOA. According to him, Iran continues to cooperate with the IAEA on monitoring the implementation of the nuclear deal at the same level, despite the January statement by Tehran on the termination of all obligations under the nuclear deal.
Commenting on the Agency's claims against Tehran, the Russian side previously indicated that it was about access to two nuclear facilities, the activities of which were stopped many years ago.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Michael Metzel / TASS