Posted by NEWS on 15/6/2005, 21:22:06 Saudi Arabia is insisting on its right to sign a Small Quantities Protocol (SQP), which has been used since 1971 to make inspections less burdensome in nations with small nuclear programs. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Tuesday that this protocol, which severely limits investigations by the UN nuclear watchdog, has been identified "as a weakness of the safeguards system" of inspections. The European Union made a so-called diplomatic demarche Sunday in Riyadh, asking Saudi Arabia to make a "gesture of good faith" to allow full inspections if it signed the protocol, to which it has the right, an EU diplomat told AFP. But Saudi Arabia said it "was only ready to make such a gesture if other signatories to the SQP made such gestures also," said the diplomat, who asked not to be named. The diplomat's comments were confirmed by another EU representative in Vienna, where the IAEA board of governors is meeting this week. The first diplomat said the Saudi response, rather than being a flat refusal, was taken by the Europeans as a preliminary response as the IAEA tries to resolve problems caused by the SQP. There have also been reports -- denied by the Saudis -- that in a crisis they could use their financial clout to get nuclear technology, or even weapons, from countries such as Pakistan, which does have nuclear arms. Saudi Arabia wants to agree to IAEA safeguard inspections but also sign the SQP.
Saudi Arabia turns down EU request for full nuclear inspections
VIENNA (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has turned down a European Union request to allow full international nuclear inspections, saying it will only agree to special investigations if other countries exempted from them do the same, EU diplomats said.
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