TNAG-1788-FCO40-2548-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-general-1988 — Page 217

RESTRICTED

022405 MOLIAN 2741

(sic)

THEIR SUPPORT TO THE ORGANISATION BY DEADS AND NOT WORDS AND

FULFILL THEIR FINANCIAL

TO THE CHARTER. WE HOPE

AND EFFECTIVE U.N. WILL

OBLIGATIONS IN FULL AND ON TIME ACCORDING

THAT OUR COMMITMENT TOWARDS A STRONG

BE SHARED BY ALL MEMBER STATES.

5.

WE LIVE IN AN INCREASINGLY INTERDEPENDENT WORLD IN WHICH

VERY FEW PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED BY ANY COUNTRY ALONE. THE

VERY EXISTENCE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY REFLECTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIS FACT. THE COMMUNITY IS NOT, HOWEVER, AN INWARD-LOOKING ORGANIZATION. ITS WHOLE HISTORY PROVES THAT IT IS INSPIRED BY AN

OPEN SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN SOLVING THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE INTERNA- TIONAL COMMUNITY.

во

THE TWELVE HAVE LONG SUPPORTED AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTED TO

THE PROCESS OF IMPROVEMENT IN EAST-WEST RELATIONS AND ARE

DETERMINED TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN THIS DIRECTION IN A REALISTIC

AND CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER.

IN THIS CONTEXT EFFORTS REGARDING DISARMAMENT ARE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.SINCE OUR LAST GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WE HAVE WITNESSED VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS FIELD, THEIR CULMINA- TION BEING THE SIGNATURE OF THE INF AGREEMENT, WHICH THE TWELVE FULLY SUPPORTED. MANY OF THE TREATY'S PROVISIONS SET IMPORTANT PRECEDENTS FOR FUTURE AGREEEMENTS ON ARMS CONTROL. THE AGREEMENT ITSELF SHOULD CONSTITUTE A FIRST STAGE FOR FURTHER PROGRESS IN THIS

FIELD.

THE TWELVE FULLY SUPPORT EFFORTS TO BRING ABOUT A 50& REDUCTION IN THE NUCLEAR ARSENALS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION.

7.

WE ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS MADE WITHIN THE UNITED NATIONS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEMS OF CONVENTIONAL DISARMAMENT, CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES AND MILITARY TRANSPARENCY. THE TWELVE REGRET THAT THE IIIRD SSOD WAS NOT CONCLUDED BY AN AGREED FINAL DOCUMENT. HOWEVER, IMPORTANT CONSTRUCTIVE WORK WAS DONE DURING THE SESSION AND IT IS HOPED THAT THE FIRST COMMITTEE WILL PROFIT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. LET ME ADD THAT THE TWELVE ARE ALSO RESOLVED TO WORK TOWARDS THE TOTAL ELIMINATION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS.