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China asks Iran to cooperate with nuke site inspection
2009-09-26
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AFP) - China has asked Iran to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog in any investigation of its second nuclear enrichment site, Chinese government spokesman Ma Zhao Xu said Friday. "We have taken note that the Iranian side sent a letter to the IAEA, briefing the organization on this matter," Ma told reporters on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit of the world's main economies in Pittsburgh. "We have also taken note that the leaders of the US, UK and France made a statement on this. We are following the development of the situation. "We hope that the IAEA will deal with the matter according to its terms of reference and mandate," Ma said, calling on Iran to work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in any investigation of the nuclear site. "It is our hope that Iran will cooperate with the IAEA on this matter." US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday threatened tough sanctions if Iran failed to open the facility to IAEA inspection. "We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information and to report to the IAEA board of governors," Obama said, styling the new plant as a "direct challenge" to international non-proliferation rules. He said that at the October 1 meeting with world powers in Geneva, Iran must be ready to cooperate fully with the IAEA or face further isolation.
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