2006年VOA标准英语-Russia Presses Iran to Cooperate with IAEA

By Margaret Besheer
Washington
29 April 2006

 
Mohammad Saeedi (file photo)
  
Iran says it will not stop enriching uranium despite growing pressure from the international community. On Saturday, Russia appealed to Iran to take steps to restore international confidence, and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

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The deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Saeedi, told state television Saturday that Tehran would continue enriching uranium. But, he said, Iran would allow the resumption of short-notice inspections¹ of its nuclear facilities, if the U.N. Security Council drops its case, and returns it to the International Atomic Energy Agency.  Iran barred the inspections in February, after being referred to the Security Council over its nuclear activities. 

Mohammad Saeedi also said the Islamic Republic is moving ahead on the technological² front, installing two more sophisticated centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran.

Saeedi's comments come a day after IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei sent a report to the Security Council saying Iran is continuing its nuclear fuel enrichment, in defiance³ of international demands.  ElBaradei also called on Tehran to be more cooperative.

Western diplomats⁴ at the United Nations say they plan to introduce a Security Council resolution within a week that would give legal force to the Council's demands.  U.S. Ambassador John Bolten said Friday that the draft resolution would be very straightforward⁵.

John Bolton, United States Ambassador to the UN, looks on at a Security Council Meeting  
  
"It will simply make mandatory⁶ the obligations already imposed on Iran by previously⁷ existing IAEA resolutions," he said.  "That really put the ball back in Iran's court. It's up to them, whether they will honor their obligations under the U.N. charter."

Russia and China, both permanent Security Council members with veto-power, have been reluctant to support limited sanctions against Iran. But, Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov turned up the heat on the Islamic Republic, telling his Iranian counterpart in a telephone conversation that Tehran must halt its uranium enrichment activity and cooperate with the IAEA.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry⁸ said Lavrov emphasized the urgent need for Iran to take concrete steps to restore international confidence about its nuclear program. He also urged Iran to fully⁹ cooperate with the IAEA to clear up remaining questions about its nuclear program.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  
  
Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear ambitions are strictly¹⁰ limited to generating electricity for civilian¹¹ purposes. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Friday that it is Iran's inalienable right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He said Iran would never give up that right, calling it "our red line, and we will never cross it."

The foreign ministers of the Security Council's five permanent members and Germany are scheduled to meet May 9 in New York to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

1 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

6 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

11 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。