Romanian diplomat becomes acting chief of UN nuclear watchdog

Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta is chosen to head the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, according to a statement published on Thursday.

The logo of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is pictured inside their headquarters in Vienna, Austria July 10, 2019. [File photo: Reuters/Lisi Niesner]

"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 has decided to designate Mr. Cornel Feruta as acting Director General, until a Director General assumes office," 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.

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 United Kingdom, and the United States) in 2015, from which the U.S. unilaterally withdrew last year.

"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.

A statement by the European Union, back in November 2018, said Feruta and the IAEA's continued recognition of Iran implementing the JCPOA.

"The JCPOA remains a cornerstone of the global nuclear nonproliferation regime, crucial for the security of the region, Europe, and the world," the statement said.