イラン核問題を含む不拡散に関する安保理会合における志野大使ステートメント

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank USG DiCarlo, His Excellency Mr. Lambrinidis, and Ambassador Frazier for their informative briefings.

Six months have passed since we last discussed Iran’s non-proliferation agenda in this Chamber.

Unfortunately, the situation remains tense.

Japan is deeply concerned that the IAEA’s JCPOA-related verification and monitoring activities have been seriously affected by the cessation of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA.

IAEA Director General Grossi’s recent report is highly alarming, as it clearly states that the Agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges and rotors, among other things.

Japan is also extremely worried about the steady increase of Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and the ongoing installation of infrastructure for advanced centrifuge cascades.

We share the Director General’s deep regret that Iran has yet to reverse its decision to withdraw the designations of experienced inspectors.

Mr. President,

Japan reiterates its support for the non-proliferation objectives of the JCPOA. Iran needs to ensure that the nature of its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, and the IAEA’s verification and monitoring activities are essential elements to this end.

Thus, we once again urge Iran to fully implement its JCPOA commitments, including transparency measures, and to re-apply the Additional Protocol.

Mr. President,

Japan welcomes the efforts by Director General Grossi to engage with Iran, including his visit to Tehran and Esfahan in May.

We note that the Director General welcomes Iran’s agreement that the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023 continues to provide a framework for cooperation with the Agency and for addressing the outstanding safeguards issues.

We strongly hope that the planned technical consultations will take place soon and that Iran will seriously engage with the Agency's proposals.

These consultations could bring concrete outcomes towards resolving all outstanding issues and pave the way for wider arrangements among the parties.

Mr. President,

The Middle East is facing an extremely volatile and dangerous situation. Further escalation is not in the interest of the international community.

We urge all parties concerned to seriously explore more avenues for diplomacy to restore the deal for the sake of international peace and security.

Mr. President,

Japan has had a number of meetings with Iran, including at the highest level, where we directly conveyed our concerns and exchanged candid views on a variety of issues, including the nuclear-related ones.

We will continue to do our necessary part based on our traditional relationship with Iran and other key stakeholders.

I thank you.