IAEA Chief Visits Asian Nations

IAEA Chief Visits Asian Nations

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano visits cyclotron facility in Viet Nam October 2011

Story Resources

• Statement: The IAEA's Contribution to International Peace, Security and Prosperity, Jakarta, Indonesia, 6 October 2011
• IAEA Programme of Action on Cancer Therapy (PACT) in Vietnam
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In the past week, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano paid official visits to Viet Nam, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Viet Nam
In Viet Nam, the Director General met the Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Van Ninh; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pham Bình Minh; the Minister for Science and Technology, Nguyen Quan, among other Government officials.
During his two-day stay from 3 to 4 October 2011, he also visited a cancer treatment centre that utilizes a PET-Cyclotron and Cyberknife. In addition, the Director General met the press.
Thailand
On 4 October 2011, the Director General began a two-day visit to Thailand, which included meetings with the Minister for Energy, Pichai Naripthaphan, and the Minister for Science and Technology, Plodprasop Suraswadi, as well as Somsak Kiatsuranont, President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand, and Members of the National Assembly. In addition, the Director General met the press.
His visit included a briefing at the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
Indonesia
In Indonesia during his two-day official visit from 6 to 9 October 2011, the Director General met the Vice President, Prof Dr Boediono; State Minister for Research and Technology, Suharna Surapranata; the Minister of Health, Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr R.M.Marty M. Natalegawa; among other Government officials.
At the Ministry of Research and Technology, Director General Amano delivered a lecture that provided an overview of the Agency's work in nuclear safety, nuclear power, non-proliferation, nuclear security, the peaceful uses of nuclear applications. He said, "the IAEA has a large and active technical cooperation programme in Indonesia, supporting many peaceful nuclear applications in human health, agriculture, water and other areas". The Director General also met the press.
In addition, he participated in the opening ceremony for a cancer control and therapy facility at Dharmais Cancer Hospital and visited the Centre for Isotope and Radiation in Jakarta.
See Story Resources for more information.
-- By Peter Kaiser, IAEA Division of Public Information