Guest lecture of H.E. Prof. Dr. Ali Asghar Soltanieh
As a continuation of the UN guest lectures series, the Export Study program’s Chair for International Law and Global Political Studies, Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic invited H.E. Prof. Dr. Ali Asghar SOLTANIEH residential Ambassador of the IR of Iran to the IAEA and other Vienna-based IOs to pay a visit to the IMC Krems and hold a lecture on so-called “Iranian nuclear issue”.
Lecture: “WMD Non-Proliferation and Disarmament - failure or success?” well attracted the IMC faculty members in such a large number that the Baroque hall turned to be too small to accommodate all. In eloquent, argumented and frank but in moments controversial way with several passionate overtones, Ambassador Soltanieh has elaborated on multilateralism, international treaties on disarmament, nuclear proliferation, role and work of IAEA, scenery of the so-called 5+1 talks, situation in Middle East, and state of arts of the Iranian international standings and its present nuclear activities and policies.
His remarks were followed by a vivid discussion in which many of the IMC faculty members showed the interest in Iranian affairs and especially in the successful anti-drugs smuggling efforts on the Iranian border with Afghanistan. Recalling the 27th January as the International Holocaust Remembrance day (and anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945) our fellows also questioned and expressed deep disregards on the recent Iranian official holocaust denial statements as well as the serious concerns on the current state of civic rights in Iran.
The two hour event has been closed by a small cocktail and the long informal discussion of students with Ambassador and his deputy Mr. Reza Pourmand-Tehrani (who accompanied H.E. for this visit).
Nuclear physicist by training, Ambassador Soltanieh has an impressive career; He was serving the Iranian Nuclear Agency on several directorship nominations, and was also an active research and teaching professor. His diplomatic portfolio includes prestigious posts such as the Advisor to the Foreign Minister, chief Iranian negotiator for different disarmament and nonproliferation treaties as well as the Chairman of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs and President of the UNIDO General Conference. In his 30 years rich career H.E. Soltanieh was repeatedly posted as ambassador at the key multilateral destinations including Geneva and Vienna.
The Guest Lecture of Ambassador Soltanieh was the 73rd event organized by Chairman Prof. Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic. The next in-house event will take place on 23rd of February when H.E. Hugo ØSTERGAARD-ANDERSEN, Ambassador of Denmark will brief the IMC fellows on the recent Copenhagen summit, Nordic cooperation, status of Greenland, and issues related to the rapid melting of North Polar cap.
Links:
http://www.mfa.gov.ir/cms/cms/Tehran/en/index.html
http://www.pmiran.at/
http://www.iaea.org/