(As prepared for delivery)
Dear Chairperson,
Yesterday, in Cairo, an important step in the right direction was taken, with the agreement on Practical Modalities for the Implementation of Safeguards in Iran, signed by me and His Excellency, the Foreign Minister of Iran, Doctor Abbas Araghchi.
Being a safeguards implementing document, it is not a public one, but given its significance and its meaning allow me to refer in general terms to it and what it means.
As I have repeatedly said, once again last Monday in my opening remarks to the Board, the June attacks of nuclear installations in Iran led to an inevitable suspension of the inspection work in Iran. Complete.
And this, for the first time since the adoption of a CSA between Iran and the Agency.
Resuming this indispensable work would not be an automatic, or a simple bureaucratic process, after what happened.
On top of this, as you all know, the Parliament of Iran adopted a law to suspend cooperation with the Agency.
This risked putting us before the real possibility of Iran failing to observe and comply with its safeguards obligations.
I am sure you will agree with me on the fact that this would not be a situation we would like to see, given its multiple and inevitably negative consequences.
It was encouraging for us to see Iran's declared willingness not to leave the NPT and to continue working inside the international non proliferation regime.
Iran expressed concerns, and it is our duty as an international organization to listen to those, and find ways and means to address them in a form which would reconcile two equally important parameters: Iran's new law, and the existing legal obligations emanating from the NPT safeguards agreement contained in INFCIRC 214.This required dialogue and a thorough understanding of Iran's views.
This is exactly what we have been doing for the past few weeks through a series of bilateral technical consultations, culminating yesterday in my meeting with Dr. Araghchi in Cairo.
In essence, this technical document provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications, and implementation, fully in line with the relevant provisions of the CSA.
This includes all facilities and installations in Iran, and it also contemplates the required reporting on all the attacked facilities, including the nuclear material present at those.
For this, Iran will follow its recently adopted internal procedures. And that will open the way for the respective inspections and access.
Safeguards approaches to each facility will be reviewed at technical level, always in line with the rights and obligations of Iran and the Agency under the NPT Safeguards Agreement, which are not modified or amended as a result of these practical steps.
Dear colleagues,
The technical nature of this document does not diminish its profound significance.
Iran and the Agency will now resume cooperation in a respectful and comprehensive way.
These practical steps, allow me here to state the obvious, need to be implemented now.
There may be difficulties and issues to be resolved, for sure, but we now know that we have the elements and basic understandings to do it.
it is my sincere hope that the resumption of our inspection activity in Iran may serve as a good sign, as a reference, an indication that agreements and understandings are possible and that nothing replaces dialogue if one wants durable, lasting solutions to international challenges like this one.
Finally, a word of gratitude to Egypt, to President Sisi who graciously met and encouraged us to agree, and to my dear friend, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, for his patience, wise advice, and constant encouragement.
Now, it is time to put this agreement in practice, which is exactly what we intend to do. I thank you, Madam Chairperson.