Japanese diplomat Amano unanimously confirmed as new IAEA chief
20:16, 14 September 2009
VIENNA. September 14. KAZINFORM Yukiya Amano was approved on Monday as the next head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to succeed Mohamed ElBaradei from December, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The IAEA General Conference unanimously backed Amano, who in June gained a narrow majority of the agency's governing board after six rounds of voting.
ElBaradei welcomed Amano's appointment: "I trust that he will lead the agency with vision, impartiality and courage," he told the General Conference.
Shortly after the conference vote, Amano said the IAEA should balance its dual role in nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear energy.
"Merely being a 'nuclear watchdog' does not suffice," the Japanese diplomat said, adding that the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism "is an increasing threat for the international community", Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.