Mohammad El Baradei said at a press briefing in Vienna after he was reappointed as Secretary General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that he would continue to hold high impartiality and independence.

    VIENNA, June 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Mohammad ElBaradei, head of UN nuclear watchdog, said on Monday he would continue to hold high impartiality and independence, which are core principals and values of international civil service.

Earlier on Monday, the Board of Governors offered ElBaradei another four years until November 2009 following US dropped its opposition late last week.

    At a press briefing here after he was reappointed as Secretary General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ElBaradei said he was humbled by the unanimous support and confidence he had received by all members of the Agency.

    Earlier on Monday, the Board of Governors offered ElBaradei another four years until November 2009 following US dropped its opposition late last week.

    "In the next four years we have tremendous challenges. We have major issues facing global security; we have major issues facing development. These two issues cut across all our activities," said ElBaradei.

    "My colleagues and I are committed to do our very best to protect ourselves against the dissemination of nuclear weapons; and against poverty. We will continue to work with the members of the international community to see a world free from nuclear weapons," he added.

    The appointment will be submitted for approval at the IAEA General Conference, which opens 26 September 2005 in Vienna.

    ElBaradei, the 62-year-old Egyptian diplomat, is the IAEA's fourth director general since 1957. He was first appointed to the office effective December 1997, and reappointed to a second term in 2001. Enditem

ElBaradei wins third-term

    Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday won his third-term as Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation's nuclear watchdog.

    As Japanese delegation dropped its objection on the election procedure after nearly a day consultation, the 35-nation Board of Governors of the IAEA reached a consensus on awarding another 4-year term to ElBaradei, said a diplomatic closed to the meeting.

    At the beginning of the meeting, Japanese ambassador Yukiya Takasu unexpectedly blocked the election, citing the procedural reasons. The ballot is technically on the agenda for later in the week.

    Yukiya Takasu said that he did not oppose the re-election of ElBaradei but the IAEA procedure should be respected. The 35-nation board of governors was forced to enter a nearly one-day deadlock since unanimous consensus is normally required for the running of the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog. However, withmost of the board members' insisting, the Japanese delegation dropped its objection after several rounds of consultation.

    ElBaradei is set to win his third term since the United States,the only one openly opposed the re-election of ElBaradei, changed its mind late last week. Following a meeting in Washington betweenElBaradei and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday, the US said that it would join the consensus in supporting the this former Egyptian diplomat.

    Diplomats said the move came after the US failed to win supportfrom the majority of board members. The 62-year-old ElBaradei tookover the current post from Swedish diplomat Hans Blix in 1997. He joined the Vienna-based UN institution in 1984. Enditem