The role of head of the UN's atomic watchdog will always be political, no matter how neutral and unbiased they aim to be, one of the frontrunners for the position said Tuesday.

"Nowadays, the IAEA is essentially a technical organisation. But its activities have some very important political implications," the Japanese ambassor to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, told AFP in an interview.

"Whoever the next Director General is, what he does or says will have political implications."

Amano is one of two candidates vying to take over from the IAEA's current director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, when he steps down this year.

Diplomats within the agency rate the Japanese diplomat's chances higher than those of rival candidate, Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa.

ElBaradei's forthright manner has sometimes been a source of friction with the United States in particular. And while former anti-apartheid activist Minty is seen as being similarly outspoken, observers believe Amano could help de-politicize the agency.

According to western diplomats within the IAEA, the 62-year-old Japanese diplomat looks close to having garnered the two-thirds majority needed on the IAEA's 35-member board of governors.

Another non-western diplomat familiar with consultations also gave him "good chances".

Amano dismissed suggestions that he only had the support of the west.

"I have support from both developed and developing countries," he said.

The matter could come to a vote as early as next week when the board of governors holds its traditional March meeting. Diplomats said the issue was listed as a formal agenda item.

But diplomats said that meeting chairwoman, Taous Feroukhi, may not opt for a secret ballot just yet.

Ballotting has traditionally taken place in March, Amano noted.

If the vote were delayed much beyond then, "it will be difficult to make a decision by June" as required under IAEA rules. ElBaradei is due to step down in November.

For the past six years, the IAEA has been investigating Iran's contested nuclear programme, which the west claims is a cover for secret plans to build a bomb, while Tehran insists the activities are entirely peaceful.

The IAEA said recently Iran was continuing to defy UN orders to suspend uranium enrichment and stonewalling questions about the possible military dimensions of its past nuclear work.

Amano said he would not expect any rapid solution.

"The Iran dossier has been with IAEA for years. The roots of it date back decades. So, I'm not expecting a quick fix," he said.

Some cautious hope is being pinned on the new US administration.

President Barack Obama has signalled a willingness for direct negotiations with Iran and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Washington's relations with Tehran can change if there is an effective US policy shift.

"Perhaps now we have US administration and the new (IAEA) director general will be elected soon, this will make some difference, I hope," he said.

The other main headache for the IAEA were allegations that Syria had been building an undeclared nuclear reactor until it was destroyed by Israeli bombs in September 2007.

Amano rejected suggestions that Syria was in danger of becoming a new Iran for the agency.

"The history of this issue is not as long, it's just started," he said.

Unlike Iran, there was no indication that Syria was engaged in "undeclared activities going back decades," Amano said.

Nevertheless, Damascus needed to cooperate more with the IAEA, Amano said.

"Otherwise, the IAEA cannot clarify the situation, which is not good, either for Syria, or the IAEA or the world," he said.