UN atomic agency almost halves aid programmes to Tehran

Vienna/Munich: The UN atomic watchdog agency has fully or partly halted almost half its aid programmes to Iran in support of UN calls for Tehran to allay fears it seeks nuclear weapons, an IAEA report said yesterday.

"It is a substantive measure ... as aid is a valuable instrument for Iran," said a senior official close to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The United Nations Security Council on December 23 imposed sanctions on Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and called for cuts in the IAEA's aid to the Iranian nuclear programme.

Could be altered

Out of 55 national and regional projects that the IAEA has with Iran, 22, or 40 per cent, were either totally or partially frozen, said the confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

Though the measures have been taken the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors could alter them when it reviews the report in a meeting in Vienna starting March 5.

Meanwhile, Iran's top nuclear negotiator cancelled plans to attend a security conference in Germany that is bringing together Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, new US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and other top officials.

Ali Larijani cancelled the visit after earlier in the week saying that he planned to use the conference as an opportunity to meet Western officials for the first time since limited UN sanctions were imposed in December.

Larijani informed organisers last afternoon he would not be attending due to an illness, conference organiser Horst Teltschik said.

"The official explanation is that he got sick," Teltschik said, adding that he does not expect anybody else from Iran to attend in his stead.

"It's not so easy to replace Larijani; he has a key role in Iran." An official at the IAEA also said that Larijani had cancelled his trip to Europe.

Larijani had been expected to meet with the head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency during a stopover in Vienna.

Health problems

Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted an unidentified official at the Iranian embassy in Germany as saying that Larijani had cancelled because of "health problems" but gave no further details. The embassy did not answer telephone calls.

About 250 other officials, including more than 40 foreign and defense ministers, were expected at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy, now in its 43rd year.

The conference this year focuses on "Global Crises - Global Responsibilities," looking at Nato's changing role, the Middle East peace process, the West's relations with Russia and the fight against terrorism.

"We have so much ground to cover," Teltschik said.