Merkel backs political solution on Iran

“I support a political solution … and I believe that we are not at the point where the search for political solutions has been exhausted,” Reuters quoted Merkel as saying during a news conference in Berlin.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s office announced on Monday that she will meet with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in Istanbul on September 18.

Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano said on Monday that the agency is “firmly committed” to continuing talks with Iran to resolve issues over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

The latest round of talks between Iran and IAEA was held in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in August.

Iran’s Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said in August that Iran had sent an official letter to the UN nuclear agency, expressing readiness to resume talks in order to resolve issues and respond to questions based on mutually agreed standards and regulations.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of IAEA, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence indicating diversion in Tehran’s nuclear energy program toward military purposes.

TE/SS/AZ

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