US pullout will not bring UN agency to a standstill

The halting of the United States $8.5 million contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency will not immediately affect its activities, IAEA Secretary Hans Blix said.

But Mr. Blix added that US absence from several key agency meetings could pose serious problems for the organization.

Iran had offered to make up the loss of US contributions, but Mr. Blix noted that Iran, whose annual contribution amounts to about 0.6 percent of the IAEA budget, had not paid its dues since 1980.