Iran, IAEA to hold talks in May

Tehran, April 28 (IANS) Iran's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog have agreed to hold a new round of talks on the nuclear issue May 13-14, the IRNA news agency reported.

Ali-Asghar Soltanieh said the talks with the IAEA will encompass setting a framework and modality for responding to some questions relevant to Iran's nuclear activities.

He said the talks will be held in Iran's permanent representative office in Vienna.

The remarks came after the latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers - Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany (P5+1) - concluded in Istanbul earlier this month. All sides described the talks as positive and agreed to meet again in Baghdad May 23, said Xinhua.

In March, IAEA head Yukiya Amano said Iran has stepped up its nuclear enrichment activities, as its monthly production of 20-percent purity uranium tripled since November 2011.

Speaking at the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board, Amano said the IAEA had "serious concerns" that Iran's enrichment activities might relate to the development of nuclear weapons.

Amano also expressed concern over Iran's repeated refusal to allow inspectors into the Parchin military site, in which simulated nuclear warhead tests allegedly took place, the report said.

Soltanieh said access to Parchin would only be granted if both sides agree on certain conditions. He, however, did not elaborate.