Finnish Nuclear Expert to Become IAEA Chief Inspector

A senior Finnish nuclear official is to become UN’s new chief nuclear inspector. Tero Varjoranta, now head of Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, will succeed Herman Nackaerts as deputy director general for safeguards of the IAEA, Reuters reported today. As an important part of his responsibilities, Varjoranta will monitor Iran’s nuclear program.

Nackaerts, a Belgian national, is due to retire later this year. He travelled to Tehran several times to press the Iranians to open their Parchin military site for IAEA inspection. The agency, in a 2011 report, had said that it suspected the site had housed a nuclear weapon research unit.

Varjoranta's appointment is expected to be announced by the IAEA at a meeting next week of the U.N. agency's 35-nation governing board. Another Finn, Olli Heinonen, held the post before Nackaerts. The March 4-8 board meeting is also expected to approve a second four-year term for IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. (Reuters, 1 March)

IAEA Aims for Nuclear Framework Agreement with Iran

IAEA Deputy Director Herman Nackaerts said today he was aiming for an agreement with Iran this week on a deal enabling IAEA inspectors to investigate a site at Parchin military base near Tehran. It is suspected that research on nuclear weapons has been carried out at the site. 

The IAEA is also aiming to strike a broader deal with Iran on a "framework accord" defining the inspection regime. IAEA wants unimpeded access for its inspectors to check Iranian nuclear activities, known as the Additional Protocol. 

“We are aiming to finalize the structured approach to the possible military dimension (to Iran’s nuclear program)," Nackaerts told reporters, adding that he hoped to be allowed to visit the Parchin military site. (Reuters, 15 January)

Nackaerts made the remarks at Vienna airport before departing for Tehran, heading an IAEA delegation for talks with Iranian officials on Wednesday.

File photo:  IAEA HQ in Vienna (Reuters)

Iran-IAEA Talks “Fruitful” –Will Resume on Monday

Possible Military Dimensions of Iran's Nuclear Program Is Primary Focus 

Iran and IAEA ended their second day of meetings today in Vienna and will resume talks on Monday, suggesting real progress is being achieved.

"We had a good exchange of views and we will meet again on Monday" IAEA’s Hermann Nackaerts and Iran’s Ali Asghar Soltanieh said in a joint statement at the end of today’s talks.

Soltanieh went further and told the reporters that the discussions were “fruitful,” taking place in a “very conductive environment.”

"We have made progress on this issue regarding preparing and negotiating the modality framework for resolving our outstanding issues," Soltanieh added. "

"During these two days we discussed a number of options to take the agency verification process forward in a structured way," Nackaerts told reporters. "The primary focus of our discussion was how to clarify issues related to possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program." [AFP, 15 May].