The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors began a week-long meeting at the agency's Vienna headquarters on Monday, focusing on Iranian and Syrian nuclear issues.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has said the IAEA believes Iran has slowed down the expansion of its enrichment activities, but has already owned a considerable amount of low-enriched uranium.

Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed on Sunday that Iran has already possessed enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb.

However, Iran denied having slowed down its nuclear program and strongly criticized "political propaganda" by the United States, stressing that all of its nuclear activities are under the supervision of the IAEA.

The Obama administration has expressed its willingness for an open and direct dialogue with Iran.

In addition, the 35-member IAEA board of governors will also exchange views on the Syrian nuclear issue.

An IAEA report released on Feb. 19 confirmed again that IAEA inspectors have found unnatural uranium particles in Syria's establishment bombed by Israel in 2007.

Another topic at the meeting will be the replacement of ElBaradei, whose term expires this autumn.

Japanese Ambassador to the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, and South African diplomat Abdul Samad Minty are running for the post.

Source:Xinhua