TEHRAN (AlArabia.net)
Iran has given up its wish to win a seat on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in favor of Syria, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA was quoted on the website of the state-run al-Alam TV on Tuesday.
"The Islamic republic has officially abstained from pursuing its right to be nominated to the board to give a better chance for Syria to win a seat," Ali Asghar Soltanieh said.
Soltanieh made these comments within the sideline of the IAEA annual conference in Vienna, Austria.
The Iranian official accused western states of using the IAEA as a means of political pressure and blackmail on Tehran.
Iran and Syria are both under fire for engaging in nuclear activities. Both were seeking to win the Middle East seat on the 35-member-elected board of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The 35 board members are elected each year by the IAEA General Conference, which comprises 144 states.
(Translated into Arabic by Abeer Tayel) |
