I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this Conference today, as I missed the opportunity to be present at the opening of the Conference. I fully endorse what the Acting Director General, Mr. Waller, said at the opening. May I first congratulate your President and other members of the Bureau on their election and express my sincere hope and confidence that with your co-operation they will steer your work during this week to a fruitful conclusion. I would also like to express my warm thanks to my old friend, Ambassador Lidgard, whose patience and skill as Chairman of the Standing Committee has helped to prepare the drafts which are before you.
Liability is a vital aspect of nuclear safety.
The work of the Agency in this area is followed by many with close interest. There is an expectation worldwide for the successful outcome of this Conference. For this to happen, the constructive approach that prevailed during the negotiations in the Standing Committee must also be followed now to ensure consensus. The draft instruments before you represent a significant improvement in the compensation for nuclear damage. They incorporate the progressive developments in the legal, technical and economic aspects of nuclear liability that have taken place since the adoption of the Vienna and Paris Conventions.