Ambassador Rivkin shares an apéritif with US staff
7 Apr 2011
Charles H. Rivkin, US Ambassador to France, met with the ITER "American Community" and guests on the Château terrace. From left to right: Cesar Luongo; the Ambassador; Joe Minervini from MIT; Joe Snipes; Chang Jun Hoon; Ed Daly; and, wearing a hat, Bob Simmons visiting from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
US Ambassador Charles H. Rivkin, who visited the ITER site this Tuesday, can be listed among the people whose work has made a decisive impact on American popular culture. As head of The Jim Henson Company for 15 years, he produced such iconic TV programs as "The Muppet Show."
The Ambassador came to ITER accompanied by the US Consul General in Marseille, Diane Kelly. He confided that he had long heard "rumours about a secret project in southern France." As he was shown the platform and the ongoing construction work, the Ambassador was glad to note that there was nothing "secret" about the ITER Project.
A salute to the flags. From left to right: US Consul General in Marseille Diane Kelly, newly appointed DDG and Director of the ITER Administration Department Richard Hawryluk, Ambassador Rivkin, ITER DG Osamu Motojima and Head of ODG Takayuki Shirao.
"I'm very impressed by the science, the technology and the international cooperation at work within ITER," he said. "I'm happy that industrial-scale fusion will be available for our children and grandchildren."
Consul General Kelly, who took her position on March 17, admits she was a bit uninformed about "thermonuclear fusion". However, after a briefing in Washington and a visit to the site, she came to the conclusion that the idea behind ITER was "brilliant."
Before heading to the platform, both diplomats were given a presentation of the project by ITER Director-General Osamu Motojima. Back at the Château, where lunch was awaiting them, they shared an apéritif with members of the 34-person strong "American community" at ITER.