Vienna: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed its hope that the new US government under Barack Obama will have better cooperation with the organisation in propelling Iran's de-nuclearisation process and easing tension in the Middle East.

IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei Friday hailed president-elect Obama's position to "create a world without nuclear weapons and value dialogue".

In an article for the Time magazine, the UN nuclear watchdog chief said he hoped "conditions will be created soon for direct US-Iran negotiations, which are key for durable peace and security in the Middle East".

He also added that effective nuclear disarmament activities with Iran might be restarted soon.

The IAEA hopes the change of guard at the White House would ease the strained relations between the organisation and Washington, another IAEA official said under condition of anonymity, adding that he was expecting the Obama government to provide the organisation bigger support and more fund.

Relations between the George W. Bush administration and the IAEA abruptly chilled when the UN nuclear watchdog said there was no evidence to bolster US intelligence pointing to an Iraqi nuclear weapons programme and other information used to justify the 2003 war that overthrew Saddam Hussein.

The Bush administration attempted to prevent Elbaradei's re-election as IAEA chief in 2005, but failed.

The IAEA also sticks to a different stance from the current US government on the Iranian nuclear issue.

 

Source : IANS