TEHRAN - At a meeting with IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined the need for the UN nuclear watchdog to be “impartial” and “professional” in its dealings with Iran.

“The Agency must adhere to the principles of impartiality and professionalism in its dealings. The Islamic Republic seeks to continue cooperating with the Agency under normal circumstances and within the framework of international regulations,” Iran’s chief diplomat said.

Grossi arrived in Iran late on Monday in a bid to address what he called “outstanding questions” that currently overshadow the International Atomic Energy Agency’s dealings with Iran.

“My objective is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the Agency has related to safeguards in Iran and, in particular, to resolve the issue of access,” the director-general said in a statement before he visited Iran.

Grossi met with several other high-ranking Iranian officials including Ali Akbar Salehi, the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), and AEOI deputy chief and spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. He is also expected to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Zarif expressed Iran’s readiness to continue cooperation with the IAEA in the safeguards arena. He also hoped that the two sides would continue their cooperation in good faith and within the safeguards’ regulations by resolving the existing disagreements based on mutual trust, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

For his part, Grossi underlined that the IAEA will fulfill its obligations in accordance with the principles of impartiality and professionalism as well as technical considerations.

SM/PA