The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) decision to send all its reports and resolutions on Iran to the United Nations Security Council was a ”regrettable turn of events”, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosasana Dlamini-Zuma told MPs on Wednesday.
Speaking during debate in the National Assembly on President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address, she said South Africa believes the dispute with Iran over its atomic facilities can be resolved through negotiation and dialogue.
Last week, the 35-member IAEA board of governors, on which South Africa is a member, voted overwhelmingly in support of an EU-3 (Germany, France and the United Kingdom) resolution to refer the matter to the Security Council.
The resolution was carried by the 27-3 vote, with only five abstentions. South Africa was among the countries that abstained.
The UN Security Council has the power to impose severe political and economic sanctions against Iran, whose nuclear programme has alarmed many countries.
Dlamini-Zuma told the House: ”We have recently experienced a regrettable turn of events; Iran’s decision to withdraw two of its voluntary, non-legally binding confidence measures has resulted in the EU-3/EU initiating decisions … to report the matter to the UN Security Council.”
She said the decision means ”that Iran may resume its enrichment programme, though it remains committed to the safeguards agreement, and retains its membership of the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty]”.
South Africa believes the matter can be resolved through negotiations and dialogue within the IAEA, which has the necessary competence and expertise to address the issue.
”We therefore appeal to all parties not to act in a hasty manner that can increase tension and confrontation, but to await the DG’s [IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei] report next month,” she said.
ElBaradei is to present an assessment report on Iran to an IAEA board meeting in March.
Dlamini-Zuma said the board ”should be allowed to consider the DG’s report, and thereafter convey to the UN Security Council and General Assembly the report, together with its own conclusions”. — Sapa