Press Releases
Courtesy Call on Foreign Minister IWAYA Takeshi by Dr. Pietro BARABASCHI, Director-General of ITER Organization
July 14, 2025
On July 14, commencing from 11:35 a.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Dr. Pietro BARABASCHI, Director-General (DG) of ITER Organization, who is visiting Japan to participate in the ITER Organization’s Special Day Event at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The overview is as follows.
- Foreign Minister Iwaya welcomed the visit of DG Barabaschi to Japan and congratuated on the success of "Fusion Day", the Special Day event of the ITER organization at the Expo on July 13.
- Minister Iwaya recalled that he signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the ITER Organization for the Joint Implementation of the ITER Project in 2006 when he was State Minister for Foreign Affairs, and expressed his expectation for progress of the project and the development of fusion energy.
- DG Barabaschi explained the current status of the ITER project and expressed his appreciation for Japan’s consistent contribution to the project and support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to date.
(Reference)The ITER project
The ITER project is an international joint project to construct and operate the nuclear fusion experimental reactor "ITER" with the aim of scientific and technological demonstration of nuclear fusion, which is considered one of the environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources. The reactor is currently under construction in Saint-Paul-les-Durance, France.