Bernard JACQUETIN Chairman I.C.S.-I.U.G.A. 2004

The President's Welcome Address Thanks to the unified efforts of the I.C.S and I.U.G.A executive committees, I have the pleasure and honour of presiding over this very exciting joint meeting! Out of respect for tradition, the congress will be preceded by two days of courses and workshops of great quality and diversity. This year we propose two additions to the plenary sessions: a debate on today’s hot topics will complement each of the three “State of the Arts”, and the mornings will begin with a highlight session. Of course, the free papers, resulting from undoubtedly more than a thousand proposals, will be very carefully selected by a high-level Scientific Committee. However, we also wish to mark this Paris meeting with something momentous: all the attendees will be invited to a welcome cocktail held in a very special location – “Les Pavillons de Bercy”. Given that France is hosting our congress in August 2004, the Gala night could not be held anywhere other than at the Château de Versailles! Our sponsors and our exhibitors are of course equally the craftsmen of this great success and I highly thank them. I am counting on you to make this congress a great event. All of you are awaited at Paris’ Palais des Congrès.