WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs has returned from Brussels and Vienna where he held high level meetings on multilateral nuclear nonproliferation efforts with our European allies and officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). These meetings came at a key time as we face an array of nuclear nonproliferation issues in the Senate as well as a new nuclear arms agreement with Russia.
“My concern regarding the Iran nuclear program grew this weekend with reports that the Iranians may be planning two additional nuclear enrichment sites,” said Senator Casey. “If their nuclear program was peaceful in nature, they would have nothing to hide from international inspectors. If Iran wanted a nuclear program for use in the medical field, it would have agreed to the deal offered repeatedly by the international community to exchange its existing uranium for a stockpile enriched at a level suitable for medical use. Iran has unfortunately done neither. Evidence presented by the IAEA has established a compelling case. It’s time that we take action with sanctions before it is too late.”
While at the IAEA, the organization tasked with ensuring that countries are abiding by commitments in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Senator Casey discussed with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano the mounting evidence of Iran’s nuclear weapons programs. Senator Casey also met with Tibor Toth, the Director General of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization and his staff, which provided detailed briefings of the CTBTO’s efforts to ensure that nuclear testing does not go undetected around the world.
In Brussels, Senator Casey appeared on a panel discussion entitled the "Nuclear Threat from Iran" which included Amb. Vladimir Chizhov, Permanent Russian Representative to the European Union and European Atomic Energy Community; Dr. Wang Jisi, Dean, School of International Studies, Beijing University; Brig. Gen. (ret.) Yossi Kuperwasser, Deputy Director General, Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs, Israel and Ruprecht Polenz, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee, German Parliament.
“This panel was a great opportunity to debate Iran’s nuclear ambitions and hear from different voices in the international community,” Senator Casey continued. “I made the case that the Iranian government clearly has not honored its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency and I was encouraged that many Europeans at the conference shared my concerns. International support is growing. The time has come to implement a strong, comprehensive and effective sanctions package.”
Senator Casey also met with the heads of state for Croatia, Serbia and Estonia.
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