IAEA appoints Cornel Feruta as interim chief

Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta will head the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) until member states agree on a permanent successor to deceased Director General Yukiya Amano, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog announced today.

"The Board of Governors has decided to designate Mr Cornel Feruta as acting Director General until a Director General assumes office," the IAEA said.

The Director General is appointed by the agency’s 35-nation board of governors for four years. The candidate must be approved by the General Conference. Its regular annual meeting will be held September 16-20.

Feruta, the agency’s chief coordinator who was effectively Amano’s chief of staff, has been mentioned by diplomats as a likely candidate for the top job. Another potential candidate is Argentina’s ambassador to the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, Reuters reported.