August 29, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 30, 1424

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LONDON, Aug 28: Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said on Thursday its country was ready to start talks on allowing snap UN inspections of its nuclear sites which Washington says are used to develop weapons.

The United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States have all urged Tehran to sign an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to allow UN inspectors more access to Iran’s atomic energy sites.

But Tehran insists the international community should agree to allow Iran access to technology for what it says is its purely peaceful, civilian nuclear programme before it signs.

“We have written to the director-general (of the International Atomic Energy Agency) saying we are ready to start negotiations on the Additional Protocol,” Kharrazi told CNN from Japan.

The IAEA confirmed in a confidential report obtained by Reuters this week that Iran had stepped up cooperation with the UN watchdog agency.

“It is true that inspectors have found traces of enriched uranium in Natanz,” said Kharrazi. “But as a matter of fact that is because the components we have imported from outside have been contaminated.”—Reuters