Iran envoy's meeting with IAEA canceled

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

VIENNA, Austria - A meeting between a senior Iranian envoy and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency was abruptly canceled Monday and diplomats faulted Iran's refusal to make good on a promise to provide answers about past atomic activities.

The meeting, between Javeed Vaidi of Iran and IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei, had been billed as a test of Tehran's readiness to end years of stonewalling and provide answers on aspects of its nuclear program that could be used to develop weapons.

But a diplomat told The Associated Press that the talks were canceled on short notice because of perceptions that Vaidi would bring "nothing substantial" to the meeting with Heinonen.

Along with Tehran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment and restrictions on IAEA inspectors, Iranian stonewalling was also the focus of ElBaradei, in opening comments to a meeting of the agency's 35-nation board of governors.

The agency is unable "to make any progress in its efforts to resolve outstanding issues relevant to the nature and scope of Iran's nuclear program," ElBaradei told delegates, describing the development as a "key proliferation concern."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_nuclear