DAMASCUS, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Syria on Tuesday pledged greater transparency and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reaffirming its right to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Syria has voluntarily granted the UN nuclear watchdog access to a site in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, Syrian foreign chief Asaad al-Shaibani said at a joint press conference in Damascus with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, calling the move a step toward greater transparency and cooperation.
He stressed Syria's "sovereign and legal right" to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, adding that future cooperation with the agency will focus on technical assistance and support.
Grossi described his visit to Damascus as an important step in global nuclear non-proliferation efforts.
"We will work toward restoring Syria as a country fully compliant with all its legal obligations related to nuclear non-proliferation," Grossi said.
The press conference also addressed Israel's military activities in Syria, hours after Israeli warplanes carried out eight strikes on the runway of Abu al-Duhur military airport in the eastern countryside of Idlib.
Al-Shaibani strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a "flagrant aggression" and a violation of Syrian sovereignty as well as a direct threat to the country's security and independence. ■
