Page 12 - MEOG Week 36 2021

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

POLICY Iran,” the report said. COMPANIES
A senior diplomat added that the agency’s
IAEA pressures Iran over confidence that the equipment is still working KPC worker takes minister
properly declines rapidly after three months,
delays as nuclear talks and while the memory cards should keep to court
working for slightly longer, inspectors will
hang in balance need access soon. According to reliable sources, the Public
Prosecutor has referred to the investigation
Former U.S President Donald Trump
The U.N. atomic watchdog on Tuesday pulled Washington out of the 2015 deal, committee at the Ministerial Court a
criticised Iran for stonewalling an under which Iran agreed to restrictions on complaint of one of the employees of the
investigation into past activities and its nuclear activities in return for the lifting Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (KPC) regarding
jeopardising important monitoring work in of sanctions. Tehran responded to the U.S. the non-execution of a judicial ruling against
Iran, possibly complicating efforts to resume withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions by the Minister of Oil and the Chairman of the
talks on the Iran nuclear deal. violating many of those restrictions. Board of Directors Dr. Muhammad Al-Fares
The International Atomic Energy Agency Indirect talks between the United States in his capacity, reports Al-Qabas daily.
said in two reports to member states reviewed and Iran on both countries returning to They said the complaint was regarding
by Reuters that there had been no progress compliance have stopped while Iran’s new, KPC’s refusal to grant the employee – the
on two main issues - explaining uranium hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has taken complainant – the effects of the Court of
traces found last year and earlier at several office. France and Germany have called Cassation ruling to return to his previous
old, undeclared sites and getting urgent access on Iran to return soon and Raisi has said employer due to the intransigence of KPC’s
to some monitoring equipment so that it Tehran is prepared to but not under Western administration in implementing a court
can continue to keep track of parts of Iran’s “pressure”. read more ruling that included cancelling the decision
nuclear programme. Tuesday’s criticism by the IAEA means the to dismiss the employee from service, and the
While the investigation into the uranium United States and its European allies must consequences of that, the most important of
traces has been going on for more than a now decide whether to push for a resolution which is the payment of his salary, allowances
year, diplomats say the IAEA urgently needs at next week’s meeting of the 35-nation IAEA and bonuses due since 2015.
access to the equipment to swap out memory Board of Governors pressuring Iran to make The sources revealed that KPC lost many
cards so there are no gaps in its observation concessions to the IAEA. administration related cases recently due to
of activities like the production of parts for A resolution could also make resuming the wrong decisions and improper promotions,
centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium. talks on the 2015 accord harder, since Tehran the latest of which was the promotion of the
Without such monitoring and so-called has previously bristled at such moves. reparation director, which was cancelled
continuity of knowledge, Iran could produce “The Director General is increasingly by the court due to the lack of eligibility for
and hide unknown quantities of this concerned that even after some two years the promotion to this position. They said, “KPC
equipment that can be used to make weapons safeguards issues outlined above in relation to has always put the oil ministers in political
or fuel for power plants. the four locations in Iran not declared to the confrontations during the few years after their
“The Agency’s confidence that it can Agency remain unresolved,” the second of the rejection of many decisions that they see as
maintain continuity of knowledge is declining reports said. high cost to the state treasury.”
over time and has now significantly further It said Iran must resolve outstanding issues The sources explained that the Minister of
declined,” one of the two reports said, adding relating to the sites, which include questions Oil does not have oversight authority over the
that while the agency needs to access the about a fourth location the IAEA has not decisions of the Administrative Affairs Sector
equipment every three months, it had not had inspected, “without further delay”. in KPC. It is subject to the CEO according
access since May 25. REUTERS to the powers granted to him by the Board
“This confidence will continue to decline of Directors of KPC, as he is the holder of
unless the situation is immediately rectified by competence and responsibility, according to

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 36 08•September•2021