Outspoken ElBaradei silently bows out as IAEA chief

Nov 27, 2009, 20:57 GMT

Vienna - Mohamed ElBaradei avoided the media spotlight Friday when he left the global stage as International Atomic Energy Agency's outspoken chief, on his last working day before Yukiya Amano takes over as Director General.

The Egyptian diplomat retired after 12 years and three terms in office, at a time when Iran and the international community are locked in a stand-off over the country's controversial nuclear programme.

The 67-year-old Nobel Peace Prize Laureate reminded the IAEA's governing board that sanctions or the use of force should not be priorities, according to a participant, and ended his comments by quoting the prayer of Saint Francis: 'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace ...'

His last day at the Vienna-based agency was marked by a breakthrough on an issue he had long been championing: IAEA member countries approved setting up an international nuclear fuel reserve, as a way to prevent potentially dangerous nuclear technology from spreading.

Former Japanese diplomat Amano paid tribute to the man he is set to succeed at the IAEA, by calling ElBaradei 'a towering figure in the history of the agency.'

Amano, 62, served as ambassador to the nuclear agency until this summer and is known as an expert in nuclear matters.

He has indicated he would seek a less political profile than ElBaradei, who often spoke out on global matters including poverty and nuclear disarmament.