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Iran parliament should ratify NPT additional protocol before final deal: lawmaker

Xinhua, April 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Iranian Majlis (parliament) should approve the implementation of an Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), as a transparency measure in a potential nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers, a senior Iranian lawmaker said here on Sunday.

"The implementation of the Additional Protocol (by Iran) will certainly require Majlis endorsement, which the Iranian negotiating team had announced," Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, was quoted as saying by Iran Student News Agency (ISNA) as saying.

In order for the country's parliament to pass a bill on implementing the protocol, Iran's nuclear dossier needs to be normalized and returned to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from the UN Security Council. In addition, the UN Security Council sanctions against Iran should be lifted, he said.

"Majlis has many opposing views about the protocol and the road to approve it is not smooth," Boroujerdi said.

Representatives from Iran and the P5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany) on Thursday concluded the nine-day Iran nuclear talks in Lausanne of Switzerland and reached common solutions to outstanding issues in a run for a comprehensive deal by June 30.

According to the Joint Plan of Action released by the U.S. State Department, Iran has agreed to implement the Additional Protocol to NPT, providing the IAEA much greater access and information regarding Iran's nuclear program, including both declared and undeclared facilities.

Under the solutions, Iran will have to cut its stocks of highly enriched uranium by 98 percent over a period of 15 years, while its unfinished Arak heavy water reactor will not produce weapons-grade plutonium.

Tehran will also reduce its number of centrifuges to 6,104 from around 19,000, roughly two-thirds of the whole amount.

In return, Iran will receive sanctions relief, if it verifiably abides by its commitments. Endit