"I am very pleased with Iran's signing today of the Additional Protocol to the Atomic Energy Agency's safeguards". Thus declared Minister for Foreign Affairs Frattini, who underscored that this signing was the completion of a significant step forward in the process of clarifying the exclusively civilian nature of Iran's nuclear programme, to which the international community is sensitive.

With the signing of the protocol the government of Teheran - the Minister added - in addition to fulfilling a hope many times expressed by the European Union, has taken an extremely important step forward in the elimination of worries and the creation of the conditions for broader collaboration with the international community.

Minister Frattini also recalled that Italy is one of Iran's principal partners in the political, economic and cultural fields. "We intend therefore to continue to work, thanks to today's important outcome, toward reinforcing bilateral cooperation with the government of Teheran and our common engagement in the stability of the entire Middle East region".