UN spokesperson addresses Iran talks, Board of Peace participation, IAEA contact and Bangladesh cooperation
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Summary
In a question-and-answer session at a UN briefing, the spokesperson welcomed continued indirect talks involving Iran and the United States, said the UN will work with the Board of Peace on Gaza despite limited direct participation, deferred technical IAEA assessments to that agency, and said the UN will continue working with Bangladesh on development and Rohingya-related matters.
During the press briefing the spokesperson (Steph) responded to several questions from journalists and a guest.
On Iran, the spokesperson welcomed the continuation of indirect talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States hosted by Oman in Geneva and said the Secretary-General wants the parties to "maintain this momentum" toward concrete, constructive outcomes that reduce regional tensions. She urged de-escalation and that concerns be addressed through diplomacy and dialogue.
When asked whether the UN would participate in the Board of Peace meeting in Washington as an observer, the spokesperson said the UN will work with the Board on its Gaza mandate and that Tom Fletcher had been invited to speak but could not attend due to a prior trip to South Sudan; she said the UN would feed humanitarian information into the Board discussions and update whether representation changes.
On contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding Geneva talks, the spokesperson said there had been no contact 'at the Secretary-General's level' and that questions about the IAEA's judgment were best directed to IAEA officials.
A guest, Abu Sufyan, asked about the UN’s plan to work with Bangladesh’s newly elected government; the spokesperson said the UN will continue to work with Bangladesh on development, climate and humanitarian issues and noted the country's hosting of more than 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees, as stated in the transcript. The transcript names the prime minister as 'Tara Kovan' in the guest’s question; that spelling appears in the briefing transcript and is reported here as stated.