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Last update - 15:31 22/10/2009
Iran, Israel attend secret nuclear meet in Cairo
By Yossi Melman and News Agencies
Tags: IAEA, Nuclear Iran 

Israeli and Iranian representatives recently took part in a conference in Cairo on nuclear non-proliferation in the Middle East, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) said Thursday, but Tehran said the report on the meeting was untrue.

IAEC Spokeswoman Yael Doron, said, however that "no dialogue or interaction" between the Israeli and Iranian representatives took place at the meeting in Cairo in September. She gave no further details.

Iran however dismissed the report, with the spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Organization (IAO) telling the website of state television that "The reports in this regard are sheer lies and there has been no meeting in Cairo."
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Ali Shirzdian called the report "a psychological operation to undermine the successful [nuclear] meetings in Geneva [October 1] and Vienna [October 19-21]."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed, however, that the non-proliferation conference did indeed take place.

Haaretz learned that Meirav Zafary-Odiz, director of policy and arms control for the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, and Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met several times over September 29 and 30 and, together with representatives of other countries, conversed, presented questions and gave replies.

The meeting was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo under the auspices of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. Also attending were representatives of the Arab League, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, along with European and American officials.

The ICNND was set up by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and it is chaired by a former foreign minister of Australia, Gareth Evans, and a former foreign minister of Japan, Yoriko Kawaguchi. Former foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami sits on the advisory committee of the organization.

The meetings were held behind closed doors, and all participants committed to complete secrecy, to allow a full and frank discussion. However, the fact of the meeting was leaked by Australian sources to the Australian daily The Age.

The Israel Atomic Energy Commission confirmed that such a meeting did take place but refused to comment.

The exchanges between the Iranian and Israeli representatives took place within three panel sessions, each dealing with one of the issues with which the ICNND is concerned - declaring the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, preventing nuclear proliferation in the region and matters of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The two did not meet or shake hands outside the sessions. In one of the discussions, Soltanieh directly asked Zafary-Odiz - and eyewitnesses say he spoke in an impassioned voice, "Do you or do you not have nuclear weapons?" Zafary-Odiz smiled, but did not respond.

During the meetings, Zafary-Odiz explained the Israeli policy of being willing, in principle, to discuss the Middle East as a nuclear-free zone. She also detailed Israel's unique strategic situation, saying regional security must be strengthened, security arrangements must be agreed upon and a peace agreement must be sealed before Israel would feel at liberty to discuss this topic.

Zafary-Odiz said Israel lived in a complex geopolitical reality, noting that in three decades, four countries in the region broke their commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria. She said Israel takes a responsible approach to the nuclear issue as a whole, and that the far horizon of its vision did include the possibility of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, even if the chances for this were slim.

Soltanieh defended his country's policy, and said Iran was not striving for nuclear armament and did not endanger Israel. He said Israel did not understand the mentality and ideology of the Tehran regime. He said the regime did not oppose or hate Jews, but was merely politically opposed to Zionism. He said Iran's growing arsenal of missiles was for defensive, not offensive, purposes.

Israel and Iran have refrained from all direct and indirect diplomatic contact since 1979.

Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Herve Morin said Thursday that the French and Israeli armies regularly swap information on Iran's nuclear program.

"e have to know what's going on so we exchange our information," said Morin, responding to a question on RTL radio Thursday about a reported
Paris meeting two weeks ago between the French, Israeli and U.S. armies.

He did not respond directly to that claim, saying only that France "consults happily with its partners".

The remarks came a day after a draft agreement in Vienna with Iran, France, Russia and the United States that foresees the export of Iran's low enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment to power a Tehran research reactor.

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      1.   Baruch Hashem! 04:43  |  sam! 22/10/09
      2.   Non members of NTP cannot comment on members of NPT 04:45  |  Javier Lobo 22/10/09
      3.   Good start for peace. 05:17  |  Ryan 22/10/09
      4.   Very Encoureging! the Obama spirit is live and kicking. 05:36  |  David 22/10/09
      5.   The Two Most Wanted 05:43  |  Shimon Cleopas 22/10/09
      6.   god is watching 05:44  |  Ted 22/10/09
      7.   The Mahdi !!! 05:52  |  Shimon Cleopas 22/10/09
      8.   The Mahdi !!! 05:55  |  Shimon Cleopas 22/10/09
      9.   Teheran doesn`t hate Jews, but is opposed to Zionism 06:27  |  HollowRinf 22/10/09
      10.   nuke free? 06:36  |  Mark 22/10/09
      11.   Bull !! 06:36  |  Westwell 22/10/09
      12.   Who... 07:36  |  Maureen Ann 22/10/09
      13.   #2 Since when are simple talks the "Obama" way? 08:19  |  Seriously 22/10/09
      14.   very good way forward 09:05  |  mehmet 22/10/09
      15.   welcome to the muddled east 09:30  |  peter rouget 22/10/09
      16.   How nice... they discussed the END OF ISRAEL 09:43  |  amir 22/10/09
      17.   Sam 10:09  |  utagawa 22/10/09
      18.   peter 10:18  |  utagawa 22/10/09
      19.   A Good Start 10:55  |  Ahmet 22/10/09
      20.   It did not happen 11:48  |  L A 22/10/09
      21.   Nuke Free Middle East 11:48  |  Jim Brown 22/10/09
      22.   Secret talk to nowhere 12:33  |  Brod 22/10/09
      23.   Loving Jews and opposing Zionism 12:38  |  Elihu 22/10/09
      24.   Ahmet-Pals want a peace that gives them CONTROL of Israel,not... 12:39  |  Alan SA 22/10/09
      25.   If Husein Obama stuck his 2 cents in, it will get all screwed up. 12:45  |  Wise Saba 22/10/09
      26.   Excellent news, hopefully at the end of this "dialogue"...... 13:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/10/09
      27.   Read carefully folks 13:02  |  Mark Lincoln 22/10/09
      28.   try to realice 13:05  |  TH 22/10/09
      29.   try to realice 13:06  |  Thomas Hettinger 22/10/09
      30.   #3 Bull! 13:15  |  Danalogue 22/10/09
      31.   dino 13:39  |  Dave 22/10/09
      32.   Israel and Iran hold secret nuclear ta;ks 13:39  |  fjm 22/10/09
      33.   Secret talks - trivial content 13:43  |  David 22/10/09
      34.   amir 13:54  |  graziana 22/10/09
      35.   Great story 14:10  |  H 22/10/09
      36.   #8, Amir 14:13  |  Milton 22/10/09
      37.   Iran denies, Iran rejects 14:35  |  Israeli citizen 22/10/09
      38.   It`s About the Borders Elihu. Where Are They? 14:37  |  Reader 22/10/09
      39.   Not so sure about that Elihu 14:50  |  r cummings 22/10/09
      40.   regret 14:52  |  Mohammad 22/10/09
      41.   Israeli nukes 15:16  |  LanosIceland 22/10/09
      42.   An observation on the holes in Mark Lincoln`s IAEA support 15:34  |  Jacob Blues 22/10/09
      43.   Mohamad in Tehran 15:38  |  Arnold 22/10/09
      44.   Sure, and Macy`s talked with Gimbel`s 15:39  |  Josh 22/10/09
      45.   It`s a good news 15:45  |  kia from Iran 22/10/09
      46.   If this is true it gives one hope 15:49  |  cowboybob O. 22/10/09
      47.   You`ve Gotta Start Somewhere 15:52  |  Jane 22/10/09
      48.   Swiss (Dino) - Mehmet - Ahmet 16:05  |  David Israel 22/10/09
      49.   Excellent news..if 16:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/10/09
      50.   it`s not a dilemma 17:23  |  Huegelsberger Jochi 22/10/09
      51.   by bye 17:27  |  Willem 22/10/09
      52.   Iran,Israel 17:37  |  Michael 22/10/09
      53.   Everybody denies, thus Haaretz lies. 18:22  |  Ami ben Abraam 22/10/09
      54.   To Swiss (Dino) #22: One may only hope 18:40  |  Morris Valentine 22/10/09
      55.   :) 19:22  |  catwalker 22/10/09
      56.   "Iran, Israel attend secret nuclear meet in Cairo" 20:05  |  Esther 22/10/09
      57.   Iran/Israel secret meeting? 20:10  |  The Teacher/Instruct 22/10/09
      58.   # 39 Morris Valentine, at the latest when you will celebrate..... 20:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/10/09
      59.   # 27 Dave, everything in the ME is related to each other..... 20:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/10/09
      60.   The earth is flat, the moon is cheese. 20:40  |  Stephen. 22/10/09
      61.   I hope this information about a meeting was true 21:21  |  American 22/10/09
      62.   No it isn`t true American 01:30  |  Mark Lincoln 23/10/09
      63.   Haaretz is devoid of the slightest honesty or decency 03:51  |  Mark Lincoln 23/10/09
      64.   Why - for the editors of Haarez 04:00  |  Mark Lincoln 23/10/09
      65.   tend secret nuclear meet in Cairo 05:59  |  Yigal Rubinsky 23/10/09
      66.   Oye, Mark #62,63... Ha`aretz has a terrific sense of humor... 07:22  |  Esther 23/10/09
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