November 30, 2003	Sunday	Shawwal 5, 1424

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TEHRAN, Nov 29: Iran will provide the UN’s atomic watchdog with all the information it requires by February, the country’s top nuclear official said on Saturday, repeating a pledge to soon sign an additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

However, Hassan Rowhani, who handles Iran’s nuclear affairs as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said the Islamic republic was still refusing to indefinitely suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

“The government must give its authorization to its representative (to the IAEA) to sign (the protocol). It won’t be very long,” Mr Rowhani told a press conference.

“The (IAEA) director-general must present his new report in February ... we will put every means at the agency’s disposal so it can verify the information which we have provided,” he said.

It was Rowhani’s first comments since the IAEA on Wednesday condemned Iran for 18 years of covert nuclear activities but stopped short of bowing to US demands Tehran be hauled up before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The IAEA resolution was a compromise between the US call to censure Iran and demands from Britain, France and Germany that Iran be rewarded for cooperating since October with the UN agency.—AFP