The Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency, (IAEA), Yukiya Amano said, nuclear energy would continue to be an important energy source for a number of countries including India. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met Mr Amano in Vienna today and reviewed cooperation between India and the IAEA. Recalling his visit to India in January this year, Amano said he was deeply impressed with India’s achievements in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and also praised India’s excellent nuclear non-proliferation record. Mrs Rao briefed the IAEA Chief regarding India’s plans for expansion of nuclear energy in the coming decades, as a clean and sustainable energy source, to meet India’s developmental needs and contribute to energy security. Mr Amano outlined some nuclear safety issues that have arisen after the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi. A report by an International Fact Finding Mission is expected to be submitted to the Agency. Mrs Rao said that India welcomes his initiative to host a ministerial conference on nuclear safety which will be held in Vienna next week. India has taken a number of measures to review and strengthen nuclear safety at its nuclear power plants. Government is also planning to introduce a bill in the next session of Parliament to establish an independent Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India. Mrs Rao also mentioned that India would like to cooperate with IAEA on the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership being established in India as a follow up to Prime Minister’s announcement at Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April 2010.