tributes give us within the international community. How great is that weight? Analyses of where any given nation stands in a "league table" of power and influence is inevitably unhelpful and
misleading. It is perhaps more instructive to look at the
"attributes" which we have.
•
5. There can be little doubt that the UK today is not only well-placed to exert influence, as a member of the Community, NATO, the UN Security Council and many of the other key international
groupings but also well-endowed to do so. Our national assets are considerable. Some are the result of history, such as our language and our direct experience of working all over the world. Some are very much the creation of this Government, primarily our powerful economic performance in recent years. The British economy is in its eighth successive year of sustained growth. Years of economic
decline have been reversed. This success has earned us respect in
the international community. It has also, and this is very important in international affairs, done much to restore our self-respect. People no longer try to analyse the "British
disease". They try to emulate the "British miracle".
6.
Another asset which this Government has worked to nurture is our contribution to the security of the West, both as a nuclear power and a key part of NATO's conventional forces. Not only does this contribution protect our own national interests, it also gives us an authoritative voice on key areas of international affairs, in particular on security and arms control issues.
7.
I would not want to conclude this necessarily non-comprehensive
catalogue of our national assets without mentioning what I believe to be a key to success for any nation: a wealth of human resources. Our business community in pareticular is full of men and women who enjoy the benefits of both the UK's long international experience as a major trading power and the freedom to develop their skills in the open market which this Government has worked hard to develop.
8. I should not omit, apart from those assets I have mentioned which are essentially internal national assets, those which characterise our present international position. I have already