I will do my best: new IAEA chief

The new Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano from Japan holds a bunch of flowers on his first day in office, on Dec. 1, 2009 at Vienna's International Centre.

The new head of the International Atomic Energy (IAEA) says he will do his best to deal with the challenges facing his organisation.

Yukiya Amano also says he will focus on being an “impartial, reliable, and professional director general.”

Mr. Amano, of Japan, spoke on Tuesday as he formally took over the office at the end of a 12-year stint by his predecessor Mohamed ElBaradei.

“We have a lot of difficult challenges, but I will do my best,” Mr. Amano told reporters.

Under Mr. ElBaradei Iran developed a nuclear programme that could be used to make weapons. As well, there are suspicions that Syria tried to do the same before Israeli jets destroyed what was apparently a nearly built reactor. And since quitting the agency seven years ago, North Korea has exploded two nuclear bombs.