UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL U THANT WILL TODAY (MONDAY) OPEN THE THIRD "ATOMS FOR PEACE" CONFERENCE IN GENEVA. MORE THAN 3,000 NUCLEAR SCIENTISTS, REACTOR ENGINEERS AND ATOMIC POWER SPECIALISTS FROM 71 COUNTRIES ARE ATTENDING THE 10-DAY CONFERENCE.

AND YESTERDAY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OFFICIALLY OPENED IN THE CITY AN EXHIBITION OF NUCLEAR REACTOR MODELS, RESEARCH APPARATUS AND PROGRAMMES FOR PEACEFUL APPLICATIONS OF ATOMIC ENERGY. AN EXHIBITION DESIGNED TO GIVE VISUAL SUPPORT TO THE CONFERENCE'S TECHNICAL PAPERS.

MOST OF THE 750 PAPERS PRESENTED DURING THE CONFERENCE WILL EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND THE NEED FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-GENERATED ELECTRICITY.

OTHER TOPICS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED INCLUDE THE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY TO REMOVE SALT FROM SEA WATER, THE INTEGRATION OF NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IN NATIONAL GRID SYSTEMS AND THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF HEAT INTO ELECTRICITY.