Argentina’s Rafael Grossi re-elected as chief of UN nuclear watchdog

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed the re-election of Rafael Mariano Grossi as its director-general, granting the Argentine diplomat another four-year term.

Grossi, 62, assumed the post in 2019 and won the backing of representatives from all member states in attendance at the United Nations agency's general conference in Vienna. His re-election had previously been approved by the IAEA's board of directors.

“Having just taken my oath of office for a second term, I wanted to start by telling you that the trust you have placed in me to continue to serve you is both moving and inspiring,” Grossi said during a speech.

“I am even more motivated, dedicated and enthusiastic than I was on December 2, 2019, when you swore me in as the sixth director general of this remarkable institution,” he said in remarks reported by the IAEA.

The first IAEA chief to hail from Latin America, Grossi took on the role following the death in office of former director general, Japanese career diplomat Yukiya Amano.

He previously served as Argentina’s ambassador to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as Vienna-based international organisations, including the IAEA in 2013, and was previously the IAEA's cabinet chief under Amano.

He came to the general directorate via a career closely linked to the world of nuclear power, as highlighted by Europa Press and other media.

Under his tenure, the IAEA has faced challenges in monitoring Iran’s controversial nuclear programme.

“Only full cooperation by Iran and tangible results will take us to credible assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,” said Grossi in his speech.

Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the IAEA has been actively working to ensure the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in the country's southeast. The area has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.

– TIMES/NA