Peter Burian, Slovakia’s Resident Representative to the IAEA, who is the President of the 69th General Conference, read out the name of the Islamic Republic of Iran alongside Argentina, France, Ivory Coast, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland and the United States as vice-chairs of the conference that kicked off on Monday in Vienna.

The US representative expressed dissatisfaction with the introduction of Iran by the MESA group, repeating political claims about Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program and calling the country's appointment “inappropriate.”

However, Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, thanked the member states, including the MESA group for their trust in the Islamic Republic.

Rejecting the US’s accusations, Najafi said the decision was made through the established procedure, and everyone should respect the choices of regional groups, adding that “decisions here are made based on a majority vote and one country cannot prevent it.”

The envoy also referred to the recent anti-Iran resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors, emphasizing that the document has no legal basis and was approved only by a fragile majority.

The 69th General Conference of the IAEA opened on Monday, with the presence of high-ranking representatives of member states, which will continue until Friday to discuss a wide range of issues related to the Agency's activities and budget.

The General Conference elects a President at the beginning of each annual session, following consultations among member states and then the President proposes to the General Conference, the names of eight Vice-Presidents who hold office until the close of the session.