VIENNA, October 31. /TASS/. Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov has congratulated the newly appointed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on his new position on behalf of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and head of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.

"Handed over congratulation letters from Minister Lavrov and Head of Rosatom Likhachev to newly appointed IAEA DG Rafael Grossi. We held positive discussions on all range of issues related to the Agency’s work, as well as ways to enhance Russia-IAEA cooperation," Ulyanov wrote on his official Twitter account.

On October 29, Argentina’s Ambassador to IAEA Rafael Grossi received the votes necessary to be appointed IAEA Director General. On December 2, the agency will formally approve Grossi for its top job. After that, he will officially begin his mandate.

Due to the death of former IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano in July of this year, the IAEA Board of Governors allowed its member states to present their candidates for the agency’s top job. The top candidates for the job were IAEA Acting Director General Cornel Feruta (Romania) and Ambassador to IAEA Rafael Grossi (Argentina).