Two days, two high-level visits

In early July, the ITER Organization welcomed two high-level international delegations, highlighting the growing strategic importance of fusion energy as the project advances through a critical phase of machine assembly.

European Council President António Costa

On Friday 3 July, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, European Domestic Agency (Fusion for Energy, F4E) Director Marc Lachaise, and Chair of the F4E Governing Board Francesco Sette welcomed European Council President António Costa and members of his cabinet to the ITER site.

The visit included briefings at ITER headquarters and a tour of the construction site, where President Costa received updates on the status of machine assembly and Europe's contribution to the international fusion project.

As the host member of ITER, Europe is responsible for nearly half of the project's construction contributions. During discussions with the delegation, representatives from Fusion for Energy highlighted the role of fusion research and advanced industrial capabilities in strengthening Europe's long-term technological competitiveness and energy innovation capacity.

Earlier in the day, President Costa participated alongside European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde in a discussion at the Aix Economic Forum (Les Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence) on navigating economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

Indian Finance Minister commends India's contributions

Indian Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman visited ITER on Saturday 4 July as part of a four-day official visit to France to participate in a series of high-level bilateral engagements aimed at strengthening the India-France Strategic Partnership, enhancing economic cooperation and promoting investment, technology collaboration and innovation.

Minister Sitharaman and her delegation were welcomed by ITER Chief Scientist Alain Bécoulet and Head of the Office of the ITER Director-General Kattalai Ramachandran Sriram. Following presentations on construction progress and India's contribution to the project, the delegation toured the ITER worksite.

During the visit, Minister Sitharaman praised the efforts of engineers, scientists, and industrial partners, describing ITER as "one of the most ambitious nuclear fusion energy projects in the world, and a significant step toward sustainable and limitless clean energy for the future." Minister Sitharaman also highlighted the contributions of Indian scientists, engineers and associates, as well as Indian companies such as Larsen & Toubro, Inox India, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Consulting Engineers, HCL Technologies and many others.

Indian firms are supplying ITER components and systems through contracts signed with the Indian Domestic Agency, including the cryostat, in-wall shielding for the ITER vacuum vessel, significant contributions to cooling water and cryogenic systems, the diagnostic neutral beam and diagnostics. Indian companies are also winning direct contracts with the ITER Organization for critical machine assembly activities. Larsen & Toubro, for example, has been awarded a contract for port positioning alignment and welding-a scope that includes engineering, qualification and tools, and in-pit welding of vacuum vessel ports and bellows. INOX India Limited was awarded a contract for vacuum vessel and cryostat thermal shield refurbishment.

During her stay in Aix-en-Provence, France, Minister Sitharaman co-chaired the India-France Economic & Financial Dialogue (EFD) and participated in discussions at the Aix Economic Forum.

As assembly progresses and Member in-kind contributions continue to arrive on site, ITER remains an example of long-term scientific cooperation, bringing together governments, research institutions and industry in pursuit of a common energy goal.