Thank you Madam Chairperson.
It is a great honor for me to address the Board today to express my heart-felt gratitude for the trust that you have placed in me, by appointing me to the post of Director General of the Agency. I would like to thank the Chairperson of the Board, Ambassador Feroukhi, for her sincere efforts and the tireless dedication she has shown in moving the process forward throughout this intensive period, leading to where we stand today. Your guidance and your efforts, Madam Chairperson, which you have conducted in a transparent, skillful and impartial manner, have greatly helped to render this a smooth process.
The efforts of a Director General can only be successful when they meet the needs and desires of the Member States. I promise to further intensify communication with Member States, while appealing through you, Madam Chairperson, for the continued cooperation and support of all Member States when I move to my new role at the helm of the Agency, following approval by the General Conference. The tasks awaiting us will be tremendous, but I am confident that a Director General who is trusted fully and actively supported by all Member States will not fail to achieve the goals enshrined in the Statute.
I had the honor to address the Board on the 4th of March and the 26th of May to explain my views as a candidate for the post of Director General. I will further elaborate on my thoughts and ideas over the coming months, but let me briefly highlight some of the key points. I will dedicate my efforts to the acceleration and enlargement of the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. I will work towards the enhancement of technical cooperation and its related activities, the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, and the further improvement of the overall management of the Agency.
As a result of the immense efforts, commitment and time that Dr. ElBaradei has devoted to the Agency since his appointment as Director General in 1997 and also beforehand, the Agency has become the broadly celebrated and eminently decorated organization that it is today. I think I speak for us all in expressing my deepest gratitude to Dr. ElBaradei and his predecessors, for their contributions to the Agency over the years. I would also like to pay tribute to the staff of the Agency. They are the Agency’s most valuable asset, and their technical expertise, professional integrity and devotion to the Agency are indispensable in the fulfillment of the Agency’s mission. I am very excited and proud to be able to work together with these talented individuals, and to tackle new and outstanding challenges that the Agency faces, together, as a team.
Last but not least, I was truly honored to have been running for the position of Director General alongside such highly-esteemed, competent and capable candidates, notably Ambassador Minty. I was particularly impressed by the professional and graceful manner in which all of the candidates ran their electoral campaigns. We now need to look to the future, and work, as a collective and united group of Member States, to achieve our common goals and the objectives set out in the IAEA Statute. I greatly look forward to listening to, discussing and cooperating with all Member States, and to working together closely to secure the further development and success of the Agency and its activities.
I would like to conclude my remarks by thanking you again for granting me this great honor. I pledge to serve the IAEA to the best of my ability, in an impartial and professional manner, and to dedicate myself fully to its honorable causes.
Thank you.