The 4th ITER Council meeting that took place in Mito, Japan on Wednesday and Thursday June 17 – 18, 2009 marked an important step towards the next stage of development for ITER.

The ITER Council endorsed the phased approach to the completion of ITER construction and the target date for first plasma by the end of 2018, maintaining operation with Deuterium and Tritium fuels in 2026. This decision will help the ITER team to move ahead with the development of the ITER baseline, which we look forward to presenting to the Council at its next meeting in Cadarache in November.

There was a positive atmosphere throughout the Council meetings demonstrating the determination of all Members to push ahead. I would like to thank all delegates for their support and also the organizers for their efficiency and hospitality.

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