Thaindian News

Tehran, Apr 17 (IANS) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad Saturday called for suspending the US from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and demanded the formation of an independent global body to oversee nuclear disarmament.

Inaugurating a two-day international conference on “Disarmament and Non-proliferation” here, the Iranian president said that an “independent international group, which should monitor nuclear disarmament and prevent proliferation, should be set up to replace the existing atomic watchdog body.

Demanding suspension of the US from the IAEA, he said “those who possess, have used, or threatened to use nuclear weapons be suspended from the atomic watchdog committee and its board of governors”.

The conference is being held at a time when the US administration and its western allies are hell-bent on imposing fresh sanctions against Iran.

Iran also underlined the need for restructuring the UN Security Council and sought for the revision of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), terming it discriminatory in its present form.

Accusing the Security Council of becoming “a tool for materialising policies of certain bullying powers”, Ahmadinejad said the international body has not been able to safeguard the national security and rights of any country.

Foreign ministers and junior ministers of 25 countries are attending the conference, while 40 other countries have deputed their high-ranking officials.

India is represented at the conference by G Dharmendra, Joint Secretary (Disarmament) in the ministry of external affairs.

Pakistan has sent a seven-member delegation headed by the director general of disarmament in the foreign ministry.

Earlier, Iran’s spritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, in his message, said that use of nuclear weapons is “haram” (unlawful) and described the US as the only country in the world that used nuclear warheads against innocent people.

He said that some nuclear weapon states had played a direct role in proliferating nuclear weapons by helping to arm Israel. This is contrary to their undertaking to the IAEA and poses a serious threat to the Middle East region and beyond.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that sanctions will not serve any purpose. He favoured diplomatic initiatives to resolve the present crisis on the Iranian nuclear issue.