IAEA
Media Advisory 2002/7531 December 2002
Invitation to a Press Conference with IAEA Director General Mohamed
ElBaradei
At the conclusion of a meeting of the IAEA's Board of Governors to discuss
the implementation of NPT safeguards in the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, the IAEA Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, will hold a press
conference.
Date: Monday, 6 January 2002
Time: at the close of the meeting (ca. 18.00)
Location: IAEA Headquarters, Vienna International Centre, Wagramer Strasse
5, 1400 Vienna, in the Rotunda.
Photo-Op: There will be a photo opportunity at the opening of the Board
meeting. Camerapersons and photographers will be guided to the meeting room.
Please meet at the Rotunda (IAEA entrance) at 14:20 (the meeting is
scheduled to start at 15:00).
Accreditation: Please bring a valid press I.D. TV Crews should enter through
Gate 3 and inform Ms. Vainola (P.Vainola-Grund@iaea.org), tel.
+43-1-2600-21276, fax: +43-1-2600-29610 in advance of your names,
affiliations and license plate numbers. Advance notice of satellite trucks
is required. Please contact Peter Rickwood, P.Rickwood@iaea.org, tel.
+43-1-2600-22565 or +43-699 11505839.
Press Release 2002/2728 December 2002
IAEA Inspectors to leave North Korea
Vienna, 28 December 2002 - IAEA inspectors in Nyongbyon, DPRK, are making
arrangements to leave the country. This is in response to DPRK officials
confirming directly to the inspectors that they should leave the country
immediately and that the DPRK has decided not to respond to the IAEA
Director General's letter urging them to allow inspectors to remain at the
Nyongbyon nuclear site.
The inspectors are scheduled to depart the DPRK on 31 December.
"This is a country in defiance of its international obligations," Dr.
ElBaradei said, "It sets a dangerous precedent for the integrity of the
non-proliferation regime."
IAEA Director General Cites DPRK "Nuclear Brinkmanship"
Vienna, December 26: The Director General of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, today said that the recent actions of the
DPRK towards restarting its reprocessing facility at Nyongbyong raises
serious non-proliferation concerns and is tantamount to "nuclear
brinkmanship".
"The reprocessing facility at Nyongbyong is irrelevant to the DPRK ability
to produce electricity. The DPRK has no current legitimate peaceful use for
plutonium, given the status of its nuclear fuel cycle. Moving towards
restarting its nuclear facilities without appropriate safeguards, and
towards producing plutonium raises serious non-proliferation concerns and is
tantamount to nuclear brinkmanship".
To date, the DPRK has cut seals and impeded surveillance equipment at a
total of three facilities at Nyongbyong: the 5 MWe reactor and the
associated fuel pond, the reprocessing facility and the fuel fabrication
plant. DPRK technicians have also begun preparatory work to restart the
reactor.
Dr. ElBaradei said that the IAEA is about to issue a report on recent
developments in the DPRK to the IAEA Board of Governors, which is expected
to meet in the first week of January to consider these developments. In his
report, the IAEA Director General will state that recent unilateral actions
by the DPRK has rendered the Agency at present unable to verify, pursuant to
its safeguards agreement with the DPRK, that there has been no diversion of
nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. The
Agency also remains unable since 1993 to verify that all nuclear material in
the DPRK has been declared and submitted to Agency safeguards.
Press Release 2002/2526 December 2002
IAEA Chief Cites DPRK "Nuclear Brinkmanship"
Vienna, 26 December 2002 - The Director General of the International Atomic
Energy Agency, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, today said that the recent actions of
the DPRK towards restarting its reprocessing facility at Nyongbyong raise
serious non-proliferation concerns and are tantamount to "nuclear
brinkmanship".
"The reprocessing facility at Nyongbyong is irrelevant to the DPRK ability
to produce electricity. The DPRK has no current legitimate peaceful use for
plutonium, given the status of its nuclear fuel cycle. Moving towards
restarting its nuclear facilities without appropriate safeguards, and
towards producing plutonium raises serious non-proliferation concerns and is
tantamount to nuclear brinkmanship".
To date, the DPRK has cut seals and impeded surveillance equipment at a
total of three facilities at Nyongbyong: the 5-MWe reactor and the
associated fuel pond, the reprocessing facility and the fuel fabrication
plant. DPRK technicians have also begun preparatory work to restart the
reactor.
Dr. ElBaradei said that the IAEA is about to issue a report on recent
developments in the DPRK to the IAEA Board of Governors, which is expected
to meet in the first week of January to consider these developments. In his
report, the IAEA Director General will state that recent unilateral actions
by the DPRK have rendered the Agency at present unable to verify, pursuant
to its safeguards agreement with the DPRK, that there has been no diversion
of nuclear material to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.
The Agency also remains unable since 1993 to verify that all nuclear
material in the DPRK has been declared and submitted to Agency safeguards.
