At a press conference with his Austrian counterpart, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'allem rejected the IAEA claims that his country had a military nuclear program, stressing that Syria was using nuclear energy for civilian purposes only. He added that Syria rejected any IAEA demands that contravened treaties signed by Syria (i.e., the NPT), and would not allow the inspectors to visit additional facilities.

About Syria-U.S. relations, Al-Mu'allem said that during his recent visit to Syria, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns presented a positive plan for tightening the relations between the two countries. However, Al-Mu'allem stressed that Syria would not sever its ties with Iran, and that the latter had the right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes. The Foreign Minister emphasized, nevertheless, that other countries, especially those in the region, had the right to verify that Iran did not have a military nuclear program.

Source: Al-Thawra (Syria), February 21, 2010