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Argentina to Nominate Envoy for IAEA Director General - Statement

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Argentina, a country with long-standing traditions in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, will present the candidacy of its ambassador to Austria, Rafael Grossi, to the post of director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on 2 August, the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Sputnik

"On Friday, August 2, Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie will nominate ambassador Rafael Grossi as Argentina's candidate for the post of Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the most important global forum on nuclear issues. The event will be attended by Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui", the ministry said in a statement.

Grossi is a diplomat with more than 35 years of nonproliferation and disarmament career, the ministry said.

On 22 July, a diplomatic source in Vienna told Sputnik that Grossi could become one of the candidates for this high post.

The mechanism for the selection of the Director-General of the IAEA includes the nomination of candidates by the member states, and the Board of Governors elects one of them.

The nominated candidate must also be approved by the IAEA General Conference, which is held annually in the second half of September. This year, the event is scheduled for 16-20 September.

The former director of the organization, Yukiya Amano, who headed the IAEA since 2009, passed away at the age of 72 on 22 July.

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