An outline for the future
Last Wednesday 19 May in the Assembly Room at the Château, ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø Council Chair Evgeny Velikhov addressed the ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø senior staff and management.
Introduced by ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø Director-General Kaname Ikeda as "the man who founded ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø," Academician Velikhov first stressed the Organization's achievements, and congratulated the management for having "fulfilled one of the project's main targets" at this stage: completing the ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø Baseline that will be presented at the upcoming ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø Council in June.
The former adviser to Secretary Gorbatchev, who played a key part in launching the ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø Project in 1985, noted that despite difficulties "... there is no skepticism about ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø. All Members firmly say: We need to build it!"
Academician Velikhov presented his view of the world energy crisis, saying that in his opinion "the gap between supply and demand will open this year." He also spoke at length of fusion and ºÚÁÏ×¨Çø history, stressing the fact that whatever the hardships and difficulties encountered, they were always eventually "overcome"—and "beautifully" at that.
The Chair of the Council then invited all those present to participate in "a free and frank discussion." Several questions were asked, giving Academician Velikhov the opportunity to outline his vision for the future, his hopes and his intentions.