Ministerial representatives reaffirm the importance of ºÚÁÏרÇø
11 Sep 2013
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ºÚÁÏרÇø Communication
Last Friday's meeting was the occasion to reiterate at a high level the Members' common effort towards the realization of ºÚÁÏרÇø and to reaffirm the importance of fusion and the role of ºÚÁÏרÇø in the current energy context. © ºÚÁÏרÇø-Organization - Gérard Lesénéchal
Early on Friday 6 September, as the Ministerial representatives from seven ºÚÁÏרÇø Members converged towards Saint Paul-lez-Durance, the day dawned bright and sunny. Ideal conditions for a historic ºÚÁÏרÇø Council Ministerial-Level Meeting...
In November 2006, following the signature of the ºÚÁÏרÇø Agreement in Paris, Ministers had come together to mark a first, crucial moment in project history—the signature of the international treaty establishing the legal entity to be responsible for the construction, operation and decommissioning of ºÚÁÏרÇø.
Last week's Ministerial-Level Meeting intervened at another crucial moment. The project is now in full construction, component fabrication is underway around the world, and the first completed components will be delivered to the site in 2014.
For the seven ºÚÁÏרÇø Members, it was the occasion to reiterate at a high level the common effort towards the realization of ºÚÁÏרÇø and to reaffirm the importance of fusion and the role of ºÚÁÏרÇø in the current energy context.
ºÚÁÏרÇø Director-General Motojima: "We are happy to show the spectacular construction progress achieved in the past couple of years and would like to express our gratitude for the confidence shown to the ºÚÁÏרÇø team by the Members." © ºÚÁÏרÇø-Organization - Gérard Lesénéchal
The meeting was convened at the initiative of Günther H. Oettinger, European Commissioner in charge of Energy and representative of the European Atomic Energy Community. Representing France as Host to the ºÚÁÏרÇø Project was French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Geneviève Fioraso. For both dignitaries, it was their second visit to ºÚÁÏרÇø this year (see Newsline's report on the of the ºÚÁÏרÇø Headquarters in January).
Commissioner Oettinger, Minister Fioraso and ºÚÁÏרÇø Director-General Osamu Motojima were joined by Ministerial-level representatives from each ºÚÁÏרÇø Member (see box below). First on the official program was a site tour that brought the guests within metres of the impressive Seismic Pit where work is underway on the foundations for the Tokamak Complex—the infrastructure that will house the ºÚÁÏרÇø tokamak.
Before the official photograph, Commissioner Oettinger welcomed all the participants. "I think it is important to hold this type of high-level meeting to talk about the problems we encounter and discuss our common challenges," he affirmed.
"We are so excited to have so many important guests today," declared ºÚÁÏרÇø Director-General Motojima to the 40 or so members of the press that had joined the tour. "We are happy to show the spectacular construction progress achieved in the past couple of years and would like to express our gratitude for the confidence shown to the Unique ºÚÁÏרÇø Team by the Members."
The ºÚÁÏרÇø Council Ministerial-Level Meeting was opened by Council Chair Hideyuki Takatsu. Then, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Council, Commissioner Oettinger was elected as Chair for the duration of the meeting. In his opening address, he told the Members that he was "...glad to note that important steps have been taken towards strengthening the working relations between the ºÚÁÏרÇø and the seven Domestic Agencies."
On behalf of the Host State, Minister Fioraso also delivered words of welcome to the assembly, including many journalists, stressing that for France, "ºÚÁÏרÇø represents a unique and outstanding project ... the broadest international cooperation for research ever implemented."
Watch a video of the Ministerial-Level Meeting .