Member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will back Iran's right to enrich uranium at the meeting of the board of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog this week, despite U.S. and EU calls for concerted efforts to halt Tehran's nuclear program, diplomats said on Tuesday.

The 16 NAM board members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were likely to issue a joint statement similar to the one issued in Malaysia on May 30 by the foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned nations, an NAM delegate said on condition of anonymity.

"Support for a fair negotiated solution is part of our position, which we'll keep here," he said.

The declaration issued in May "reaffirmed the basic and inalienable right" of all countries to develop, produce and use atomic energy "for peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with their respective legal obligations."

The 114-member bloc, consisting mostly of developing states including Iran, strongly opposed resorting to sanctions.

Those countries are also concerned that making Iran scrap its nuclear fuel enrichment program would set a precedent that prevents other developing nations from boosting their economies through atomic energy.

In February, after heavy lobbying from Western countries, most NAM states of the IAEA board voted for the decision to refer Iran to the UN Security Council, but two NAM countries, South Africa and Indonesia, abstained.

The 35 countries on the IAEA board are scheduled to discuss Iran's nuclear program on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua