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Major powers refuse Iran’s invitation to tour its nuclear sites

Major powers snub Iran invite for nuclear tour, Google hosted news, (AFP) –15 Jan 2011, VIENNA — Iran’s invitation to a number of key countries to visit its nuclear sites has effectively been snubbed by major powers, diplomats here said Friday.Diplomats close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told AFP that only a small number of countries had signalled their participation in the tour this weekend, including Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, Syria and Venezuela.
But other countries, such as China or Russia, had not given any official response, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Nevertheless, comments from their capitals appeared to indicate they would not be taking part.

Tehran’s envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told the Iranian news agency ISNA that representatives of the so-called Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), developing countries, the Arab League, Venezuela and Syria had accepted invitations to visit Iran’s central Natanz enrichment facility and its still-unfinished heavy water reactor at Arak…….

Iran’s unusual invitation came in the run-up to talks with six world powers at the end of next week in Turkey chaired by the EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany are to meet with Iran for another round of talks on Tehran’s atomic programme in Istanbul on January 21-22.

AFP: Major powers snub Iran invite for nuclear tour

January 14, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international