Statement by Ambassador HIKIHARA Takeshi at the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting starting on Monday, 6 March 2023 Item 6(d): NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran
2023/3/8
Thank you, Chair,
Japan thanks Director General Grossi for preparing the report on this agenda item.
Japan highly commends the professional and impartial work of the Director General and the Secretariat in the implementation of safeguards. The Agency’s safeguards are a fundamental component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime under the NPT. Each Member State must act in a manner that preserves the integrity of the safeguards system in cooperation with the Agency.
Japan is deeply concerned that the safeguards issues related to Turquzabad, Varamin and ‘Marivan’ remain unresolved due to insufficient substantive cooperation by Iran, despite numerous interactions with the Agency since 2019, and the calls of this Board expressed in its resolutions adopted in June 2020, as well as June and November last year.
Japan appreciates the DG’s continued engagement with Iran including his recent visit to Tehran. We once again urge Iran to cooperate with the Agency fully and immediately and provide further information and access to address the outstanding issues pursuant to Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement, following the joint statement issued between the Agency and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
In addition to the issues relating to the three undeclared locations, Japan is also seriously concerned about the recent case which has come to light at the FFEP (Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant), where Iran implemented a significant change to the declared design information without informing the Agency in advance, contrary to Iran’s obligations under its Safeguards Agreement, while paying attention to the fact that the Agency found HEU particles with enrichment levels inconsistent with the enrichment level declared by Iran in their DIQ. In this regard, Japan calls upon Iran to fully and transparently engage with the Agency to clarify its activities.
Iran’s legal obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangement to its Safeguards Agreement cannot be modified unilaterally. Japan calls on Iran to fulfill all of its obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangement and fully implement modified Code 3.1.
Japan requests the Director General to keep the Board of Governors informed on this issue.
Thank you, Chair.
Japan thanks Director General Grossi for preparing the report on this agenda item.
Japan highly commends the professional and impartial work of the Director General and the Secretariat in the implementation of safeguards. The Agency’s safeguards are a fundamental component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime under the NPT. Each Member State must act in a manner that preserves the integrity of the safeguards system in cooperation with the Agency.
Japan is deeply concerned that the safeguards issues related to Turquzabad, Varamin and ‘Marivan’ remain unresolved due to insufficient substantive cooperation by Iran, despite numerous interactions with the Agency since 2019, and the calls of this Board expressed in its resolutions adopted in June 2020, as well as June and November last year.
Japan appreciates the DG’s continued engagement with Iran including his recent visit to Tehran. We once again urge Iran to cooperate with the Agency fully and immediately and provide further information and access to address the outstanding issues pursuant to Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement, following the joint statement issued between the Agency and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
In addition to the issues relating to the three undeclared locations, Japan is also seriously concerned about the recent case which has come to light at the FFEP (Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant), where Iran implemented a significant change to the declared design information without informing the Agency in advance, contrary to Iran’s obligations under its Safeguards Agreement, while paying attention to the fact that the Agency found HEU particles with enrichment levels inconsistent with the enrichment level declared by Iran in their DIQ. In this regard, Japan calls upon Iran to fully and transparently engage with the Agency to clarify its activities.
Iran’s legal obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangement to its Safeguards Agreement cannot be modified unilaterally. Japan calls on Iran to fulfill all of its obligations under the Subsidiary Arrangement and fully implement modified Code 3.1.
Japan requests the Director General to keep the Board of Governors informed on this issue.
Thank you, Chair.