BRUSSELS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei expressed on Wednesday his hope for progress in determining whether a facility in Syria bombed by Israel in September was indeed a nuclear reactor.

    "I hope we will be able in the next few weeks to be in a position to shed some light on the nature of the facility that was destroyed," ElBaradei told reporters after a meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

    He said he regretted that the facility was bombed by Israel before the IAEA had an opportunity to investigate into its nature.

    The IAEA was informed by the United States in April that the bombed facility was a nuclear reactor but that it was not operational.

    He said the IAEA is currently in dialogue with the Syrian authorities to verify the veracity of the information given by Washington.

    He said Syria had an obligation to notify the IAEA if it was building a nuclear reactor.

    ElBaradei and Barroso on Wednesday witnessed the signing of a joint statement on increased cooperation between the two institutions on nuclear energy.