Prime Minster Essam Sharaf appointed Mohamed Ezzat Abdel Azim, former deputy chairman for research projects, to succeed Mohamed Taha al-Qolaly as chairman of the Egyptian Atomic Energy Agency, media sources reported Thursday.
Abdel Azim is a specialist in nuclear engineering and is one of the most prominent atomic scientists in Egypt. His appointment came amid press reports about tensions among scientists responsible for managing the country's nuclear program.
Youm7 newspaper's official website reported that Abdel Azim's first priority is redeveloping the Anshas nuclear reactor, an old Russian-built reactor north of Cairo. President Hosni Mubarak had announced in 2009 that Egypt would build new nuclear plants, but the project was postponed after the 25 January revolution.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
