Romanian diplomat becomes acting IAEA chief

Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta has been chosen to head the the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, according to a statement published here on Thursday.

"As a consequence of the recent passing away of Director General Yukiya Amano and in order to ensure the orderly and smooth functioning of the Agency, the Board of Governors decided to designate Cornel Feruta as acting Director General, until a Director General assumes office," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an online statement.

Amano, who had been the chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog since 2009, died last week at the age of 72. The IAEA announced his death on Monday, without specifying the cause.

According to IAEA rules and procedures, decisions of the Board on appointing a new Director General have to be made by a two-thirds majority of the members' voting.

Feruta, head-coordinator of the IAEA since 2013, has been responsible for coordinating the Agency's internal and external activities, Xinhua news agency reported.

He is known as a staunch supporter of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, reached by Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the US) in 2015, from which Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018.

"I think the JCPOA represents in itself a real success from a nuclear verification point of view," he said at a "Seminar for Diplomats" event at the Agency's Headquarters in August 2017.

( With inputs from IANS )