Saturday February 4, 2006
NAM: Respect Iran’s right to peaceful use of N-energy
KUALA LUMPUR: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has come out in defence of Iran's nuclear energy programme.
It said that it was the right of each member state to develop research, produce and use atomic energy for “peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with their respective legal obligations”.
In making a call for a “balanced and even-handed approach on the Iran nuclear issue to avoid perception of selectivity and bias,” NAM said a state's choice and decision in the peaceful use of nuclear technology and its fuel cycle policies should be respected.
Nothing should be interpreted, it said, in a way that inhibited or restricted the right of members to develop atomic energy for peaceful purposes.
The NAM position was delivered to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors meeting in Vienna by Datin Paduka Dr Rajmah Hussain, who is the ambassador and resident representative of Malaysia to the IAEA.
NAM, of which Malaysia and Iran are members, is a movement comprising 115 members representing the interests and priorities of the developing world. Malaysia is currently the chair.
Iran recently decided to resume research on uranium enrichment for energy. But this move was met with a great deal of concern in the Western world, including threats to refer Teheran to the UN Security Council.
Rajmah said it was essential to make a clear distinction between legal obligations of member states and voluntary commitments, adding that the latter should not be turned into legal safeguards obligations.
“NAM is of the view that member states should not be penalised for not adhering to their voluntary commitments,” she said in her speech.
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