The UN nuclear agency has appointed Rafael Grossi for a second term until 2027

The CEO of the international atomic energy agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossiwas appointed this Friday in A by the board of governors of the nuclear agency of HIM for a second term of four years.

The Argentine diplomat, appointed today by acclamation, was the only candidate for this position, which he assumed at the end of 2019 after the death of his predecessor, the Japanese. Yukiya Amano.

The second term of Big62 years old, will begin on December 3 and end on December 2, 2027.

The decision of the Board of Governors of the IAEAto which 35 Member States belong, must be confirmed by the organization’s next general conference at the end of September.

Grossi’s first term was marked by Conflict over Iran’s nuclear program whose verification and supervision are in the hands of the IAEA, as well as by the war in Ukrainewhere the nuclear power plant Zaporizhia It has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.

To reduce the risk of a nuclear accident in the war zone, the Director General of the IAEA has been trying since last year to negotiate with the belligerents the creation of a security and protection zone around the atomic power plant, the largest in Europe, with its six reactors.

In this direction, Bigwarned on Thursday of the risk around the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhiawhich runs on backup generators after a Russian attack.

“Every time we play with fire and if we let this situation continue, one day our luck will change,” he warned Thursday before the board of governors of this body of the HIM not Vienna.

Grossi called on “everyone to commit to protecting the security” of the Russian-occupied factory in southern Ukraine by creating a special zone.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europelost power on Thursday and is running on diesel generators, Ukrainian nuclear operator Energoatom said.

Besides, Bigassured last Saturday that he had “constructive talks” with Iranian officials in Tehran, which could pave the way for the resumption of negotiations to reactivate the 2015 nuclear agreement.

As revealed during a press conference, the scheme has agreed to undergo additional verification measures, as part of the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and clarify doubts about the nature of its nuclear program.

The deal was announced after IAEA Director Rafael Grossi met in Tehran with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to get the collaboration “back on track”, the Argentine diplomat said during a briefing. a press conference in Vienna. “We put a tourniquet on the bleeding of information we had,” Grossi said. when summarizing this agreement to settle outstanding issues such as the remains of 84% enriched uranium, much more than expected, or traces of artificial uranium in three facilities that Tehran has never declared as part of its atomic program.

The head of the UN agency “expressed his satisfaction at having achieved a common programwith Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization “on cooperation measures”, the official Irna news agency noted. “There will be more inspections because of this agreement,” he explained.

Grossi pointed out that the verification measures will consist of having access to certain people and materials, as well as to restore control by cameras and remote measurement systems that had been disconnected. Likewise, he pointed out that there will be 50% more inspections at the Fordow plant, where these traces of 84% uranium were detected, a level close to that needed to manufacture a nuclear bomb.

(With information from EFE)

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