Japan’s Amano to head IAEA
JAPAN: Japan on Friday welcomed the choice of Yukiya Amano as
the next head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stressing that
he comes from the only country to have been attacked by atom bombs.
The veteran Japanese diplomat won the contest in Vienna on Thursday
to lead the UN nuclear watchdog, giving him a pivotal role in dealing
with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “It is very significant that the head was
selected from the only atomic-bombed country,” top government spokesman
Takeo Kawamura told reporters, noting that Amano’s selection also
boosted Japan’s international profile. “We hope he will make the IAEA
fully perform its role when nuclear disarmament is being called into
question,” Kawamura said. Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said Japan
would support Amano in various ways but stopped short of saying whether
this would include financial aid to the body.Japan suffered US atomic
bomb attacks on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days
of World War II in August 1945.
The nation surrendered a few days after the attacks. Hiroshima Major
Tadatoshi Akiba also welcomed Amano’s win.
“We have high hopes that he will work toward creating a concrete
roadmap for abolishing nuclear weapons,” Akiba said in a statement.
Tokyo, Friday, AFP |