April 12, 2021 Yves Desbazeille, director-general of FORATOM. ABU DHABI — A top executive of the European Atomic Forum (FORATOM), the Brussels-based trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, has described the recent launch of commercial operations of Unit 1 of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the UAE as an "important achievement" in the development of nuclear energy globally. Yves Desbazeille, director-general of FORATOM, said in a statement on Monday, "The UAE's decision to diversify its energy mix by introducing nuclear energy proves that there is a bright future for this low-carbon source of energy, as more and more countries, which are willing to decarbonize their energy mix, opt for nuclear."