In an extensive series of discussions during his official visit to France, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano met the President of France, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy; the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Mr. Alain Juppé, the Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing, Ms. Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet; and the Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry, Mr. Eric Besson. In addition, Director General Amano was briefed by senior French government officials and representatives of the French nuclear industry.
On 28 April 2011, during his stay, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano addressed a Special Council Session of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Steering Committee for Nuclear Energy, which is the governing body of the Nuclear Energy Agency, a specialised agency within the OECD.
Focusing on the on-going nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, the Director General called for strengthened nuclear safety standards and an all-pervasive safety culture to ensure that safety is always the foremost priority in nuclear power generation. He said, "Public confidence in the safety of nuclear power plants has been deeply shaken throughout the world. We must therefore continue to work hard on improving the safety of nuclear power plants and ensuring transparency about the risks of radiation. Only in this way will we succeed in addressing the concerns that have been raised by Fukushima Daiichi." He reiterated that "more than ever before, our watchword must now be Safety First."
The full text of the Director General's address to the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting is available here.
Following the Special Council Session and the Steering Committee, the OECD hosted a Press Briefing, in which the Director General participated, providing an overview of the Agency's efforts to support Japan during the current nuclear emergency, as well as updating reporters on nuclear non-proliferation.