India votes with US, others at IAEA to rebuke Iran

India today voted with the United States and other world powers against Iran in a resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censuring it over its secret construction of another uranium enrichment plant.

The resolution was adopted 25-3 by the 35-member Board of Governors of the IAEA at its headquarters in Vienna, with six abstentions. Those who supported the resolution included Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

This was the first resolution passed by the IAEA against Iran in nearly four years and called upon the country to stop construction immediatley of the new uranium enrichment plant at Qom, a site that it had kept secret until September this year.

In its Explanation of Vote on the resolution, India said its delegation had taken careful note of the report of the IAEA Director General (DG) on "Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran".

It said that the DG had noted that while the Agenc had continued to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran, there had, however, been no movement on remaining issues of concern which need to be clarified for the Agency to verify the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

According to the explanation, the DG concluded that "Iran's failure to notify the Agency of the existence of this facility until September 2009, rather than as soon as the decision to construct it or to authorize construction was taken, was inconsistent with its obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Safeguards Agreement and that Iran´s late declaration of the new facility reduces confidence in the absence of other nuclear facilities under construction in Iran which have not been declared to the Agency."

It said India had consistently supported the right of all states to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with the respective obligations that they have undertaken.

In Iran’s case, which is a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), it has all the rights and obligations that go with its membership of the NPT pertaining to the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, it said. The note also underlined the importance of the full and effective implementation of all safeguards obligations undertaken by member states of the IAEA.

"Our support for the resolution is based on the key points contained in the Report of the DG. During previous Board meetings we had underlined the critical importance of continued cooperation and dialogue between the Agency and Iran. The Agency’s safeguards system is the bedrock of the international community’s confidence that peaceful uses of nuclear energy and non-proliferation objectives can be pursued in a balanced manner. The integrity of this system should be preserved," it said.

"India has considered the role of the DG has having a vital bearing on the consideration of all issues by the Board of Governors. The conclusions he has drawn in his report are therefore difficult to ignore," it said.

India said that, in recent months, it was encouraged by the new pathways of engagement that had opened up with Iran, including the recent meetings in Geneva and Vienna, which gave rise to hopes of constructive and productive results.

It said that, as such, it did not believe that the adoption of the resolution should divert the parties away from dialogue.

"This resolution cannot be the basis of a renewed punitive approach or new sanctions. In fact, the coming weeks should be used by all concerned to expand the diplomatic space to satisfactorily address all outstanding issues. India firmly supports keeping the door open for dialogue and avoidance of confrontation," the explanation added.

NNN