YouSaid · the spoken record

FISCHER

lines on the record: 388
first: 1974-09-24
most recent: 1989-09-24
sittings or episodes: 13
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The United Nations brings together the collective spirit and will of nations and pools their efforts into a single stream, it harmoniously combines national and international security interests. There is no more competent forum that could keep watch over world peace in a better way. The main source of the effectiveness and strength of the United Nations is the determination and willingness of its Member states to pursue the only road that could possibly lead mankind into a peaceful third millennium: the road of constructive co-operation in all fields of human life.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Since disarmament and the safe elimination of highly sophisticated weaponry, no less than armament itself, are becoming more and more costly, it would be most beneficial for all to break once and for all the cycle of arms build-ups and subsequent disarmament. Fruitful development of the entire world economy requires political will by all to bring about co-operative and viable solutions. The same applies to ecological problems. Mankind must not destroy its own natural basis of existence. Today we are more aware of the life-sustaining interaction between our planet's water, air, soil and forests. We can now see more clearly that the sensitive balance between those factors cannot be upset with impunity.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The 1990 special session of the General Assembly devoted to economic issues and preparatory work for the international development strategy for the next decade are appropriate contexts in which to define priorities for international economic co-operation and for the activities of the United Nations in that area. An agreed settlement of the debt problem of the developing countries has to be regarded as the most pressing issue in that respect. Against that background, the German Democratic Republic deems implementation of the principle of disarmament for development to be an imperative of the highest priority.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“A stable and prosperous world needs sound and mutually advantageous economic co-operation. Historical reasons account for the existence of imbalances, but nothing can justify the fact that many third-world countries, not least because of inequitable terms of trade, cannot develop in socio-economic terms. Evidence of that is the fact that the World Bank recently settled its accounts with a net profit of $1 billion, squeezing more out of developing countries than it put into them. The United Nations can and must commit itself to a marked improvement of that situation.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The early adoption of a code covering crimes against the peace and security of mankind and of a convention against the use of mercenaries would create a solid legal foundation for the prosecution and punishment of the gravest of crimes and would at the same time have preventive effects that should not be underestimated. The third task is to make greater use of international mechanisms and, where necessary, create new ones to ensure the fulfilment of commitments that have been undertaken. In the field of human rights and social issues, the requirements of peaceful co-operation must be lived up to. That requires the strengthening of peace as an indispensable foundation for the implementation of human rights. In its practical work the United Nations should heed the interrelationship of political, economic and social rights.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“In our view, the most urgent tasks in strengthening the international order of law which must be the foundation of an order of peace are, first, to bring about a reliable consensus on the interpretation and application of existing principles as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The second task is to work out treaties to manage problems that need to be addressed globally. We think these include protection of the environment, the use of modern communication technologies, the combating of terrorism, and the prevention of drug abuse.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Negotiations should be encouraged between the leaders of the two ethnic communities, mediated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, on a settlement that would meet the interests of the entire Cypriot people. In today's international conditions and in view of the requirements of tomorrow, international law assumes increasing importance for the security of States and good-neighbourly co-operation. Nothing could conceivably be more effective than such principles as the prohibition of the threat or use of force and the obligation to settle disputes peacefully. The German Democratic Republic therefore supports the initiative of the non-aligned countries to have a decade of international law adopted by the United Nations for the next ten years.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The Palestinian people is still being deprived by force of its legitimate rights, and its uprising is being rigorously repressed. It would be in the interest of all concerned and of peace in general to resolve these and other problems in the region through an international Middle East peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations and with the Palestine Liberation organization, Israel, and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council participating on an equal footing. A peaceful settlement of the question of Western Sahara, with the participation of the organization of African Unity and the United Nations, would constitute another milestone on the road of the African nations towards a durable peace and social progress. The Cyprus question, too, remains unresolved.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“It is with great sympathy that the world is following Namibia's transition to independence. The German Democratic Republic has long supported that process. It helped repatriate Namibian refugees and has met the Secretary-General's request to dispatch police monitors and election supervisors. It is imperative that the elections in November not be impeded, so that we can welcome a free Namibia as a member of the world organization before long. Implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978) is conducive to peace and stability in southern Africa. Yet apartheid, the main cause of conflicts, continues to exist in that region, and all The socialist German State is very much concerned that no peace is yet in sight in the Middle East.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Consequently, my country will be making use of the United Nations international system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures and provide the available data as from 1990. Apparently, one of the most important experiences which the end of the twentieth century will leave behind is that disputes and conflicts can no longer be resolved by military means. They can only be settled on the basis of respect for the legitimate interests of the parties in conflict, who must meet each other halfway in a spirit of compromise. In those terms, the United Nations and its Secretary-General - and I take pleasure in emphasizing this - play a highly appreciated promotive role. The Organizations' peace-keeping operations have stood the test, and my country supports then.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Fear the sake of step-by-step solutions, the German Democratic Republic submitted basic elements at the Geneva Conference for a treaty to ban anti-satellite weapons, and it hopes that negotiations will start soon. In that respect, the world organization will certainly find important areas for action. It could, for instance, evaluate existing findings and available experiences in respect of arms conversion and make them accessible to all States. This directs our attention to the general requirement to utilize modern sciences and technologies for disarmament. I propose that henceforth this topic be considered by the United Nations. The German Democratic Republic believes that efforts to define criteria for comparing military budgets should be continued, so as to promote openness in the military field.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The German Democratic Republic, which neither possesses chemical weapons nor has such weapons stockpiled on its territory, has transmitted data relating to its chemical production and the results of a national trial inspection. Before this forum, I wish to reaffirm the proposal to convene a meeting of foreign ministers at the Geneva Conference so as to proceed to the final stage of the negotiations. We welcome the results of the recent talks between the USSR and the United States committing them to the conclusion of a relevant convention not later than next year. The prevention of an arms race in outer space is becoming ever more urgent.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Such a ban would, at the same time, strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In that context, the Soviet Union's proposal to cease the production of fissionable material for armament purposes deserves the support of the United Nations. In January this year, the participants in the Paris Conference urged the earliest possible conclusion of a convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons. However, the Geneva negotiations have yet to make any real progress. Yet the risk of a proliferation of these means of mass destruction increases proportionally to the delay in concluding a world-wide convention. This delay is incomprehensible, since there is agreement on the essential issues of the convention. Data are being exchanged and verification methods have been tested.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“But it is equally obvious that the pace of the ongoing negotiations is insufficient, in fact very far from what is necessary. From the German Democratic Republic's viewpoint it is imperative to include all weapons categories in the negotiations, to break the vicious circle in the arms race and to make no compensation for weapons eliminated and, consequently, to offer results to the peoples. We would like to see the USSR and the United States succeed as soon as possible in halving their strategic nuclear armaments while adhering to the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems - the ABM Treaty. In order to halt the nuclear arms race, an overwhelming majority of States has been calling for a complete ban on nuclear-weapons tests.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Calling frontiers into question or making presumptuous claims under the mantle of concern for humanity and in violation of the sovereign rights of other States, and exercising so-called custodianship over nationals of other states - that is bound to provoke conflicts that erode co-operation in the heart of Europe and even put peace in jeopardy. Disarmament, the settlement or prevention of international conflicts and the strengthening of the international rule of law are guarantees for a world of peace, security and common welfare. In this context disarmament remains the key issue. The implementation of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, which must not be undercut by what is called modernization, is in the interests of all peoples.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The German Democratic Republic's policy, firmly rooted in anti-fascist traditions and relying on the dynamic development of its society, remains predictable. The socialist German State has done a great deal on behalf of peaceful coexistence in Europe in the past, and it will do likewise in the future. The German Democratic Republic abides by what the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party and Chairman of the Council of State, Erich Honecker, and the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Helmut Kohl, agreed in March 1985 and what they reaffirmed in their joint communiqué in September 1987.- that inviolability of the frontiers is a basic condition for peace. To preserve and to strengthen it through new confidence-building measures remains the need of the hour.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Claims to the effect that the "German Reich" continued to exist within the 1937 borders are as dangerous as they are irrational, for the "German Reich" fell asunder in 1945 as a consequence of its own policy of aggression. The realities in Europe that have since emerged include the existence of two sovereign German States. Their mutual relationship is, and continues to be, of great importance for stability in Europe and the progress of detente in the world. This is what guides the socialist German State, which will be observing its fortieth anniversary in a few days. Anyone who wants stability in Europe will appreciate the fact that at the divide between the world's two biggest military alliances there exists a State whose supreme credo is, "No more war - only peace shall ever emanate from German soil".”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Rather its coming into being is obstructed by the arms race, the sustained military threat and, recently, the redoubled attempts to do away with socialism as a social system. The road towards stable peace and productive co-operation is not smooth, yet it is practicable. However, it must not be made harder to travel on than it already is. The achievements made in Europe over the last two decades through joint efforts - a record all can take pride in - were possible because the Helsinki Final Act meant recognition of international legal principles as set out in the United Nations Charter and the political and territorial realities that emerged after the Second World War. This must remain agreed.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“I wish to recall with all due emphasis the proposal by the States parties to the Warsaw Treaty that, in parallel with the Vienna talks on conventional forces and armaments, negotiations should be started also on tactical nuclear weapons. Our aim remains a Europe, indeed a world, without nuclear weapons. Mindful of the sensitive divide between the two military alliances, and seeking cuts in weapons of mass destruction in Central Europe, the German Democratic Republic advocates the establishment of zones free of nuclear and chemical weapons, with specific confidence-building measures being applied. Let me point out in this context that it is not the diversity of systems of society that renders the construction of the European home problematic.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The East and the West could then on a new basis and for the benefit of all peoples co-operate and build harmoniously. The Vienna negotiations on conventional armed forces and on further confidence- and security-building measures could soon produce first agreements on mutual force and arms reductions if all participants negotiated constructively and were ready for compromise. The German Democratic Republic, like its allies, has made exemplary unilateral moves contributing to propitious conditions for speedy negotiations. Before 1990, the German Democratic Republic's armed forces will be reduced by 10,000 troops, 600 tanks and 50 aircraft. We already have at hand initial practical experience in partial areas of arms conversion, which we gladly share at the international Level.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Thus substance would be built into the prohibition of the use of force as spelled out in the Charter, and world-wide adherence to it would be ensured. Stable security for all can grow only from a policy that takes account of the intertwining of military, political, economic and humanitarian factors and seeks further to push back military might in favour of shared political endeavours. This is the purpose of the initiative of socialist States for a comprehensive approach to the strengthening of international security, which would guarantee that all States in the different regions could live together without conflicts and tensions in true good-neighbourliness. In Europe, efforts must remain concentrated on reducing the cram-full arsenals to a level where the danger of war will be banished for ever.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“It has been encouraging to note that the declarations adopted at the Ninth Summit Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned States express a firm resolve to find agreed solutions to the pressing problems of our planet in a peaceful and constructive dialogue with all other States. On the other hand, much remains to be done for the awareness to gain ground that lasting security can be built only through co-operation, rather than confrontation. Above all, it is imperative to abandon all doctrines which preserve, or even feed, hostile images, stimulate the arms race and even keep open the first-use option for nuclear weapons. The German Democratic Republic insists on a joint review of military concepts and their strict orientation towards defence. Also, the United Nations should seize upon this matter.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“Bertolt Brecht, the playwright, has Galileo Galilei expressing faith in the "gentle force of reason", which people cannot withstand in the long run. The nuclear and space age, with the apocalyptic risks for humankind, makes imperative a new kind of thinking on security policy. Yet this awareness does not grow all on its own. Shop-worn notions and attitudes need to be shed through a dialogue, across all frontiers, among political and military leaders, scholars, scientists and indeed all people committed to peace. They need to be replaced by a modern way of thinking and conduct marked by high ethical values and a sense of reason and reality. On the threshold of the next millennium, this is the only approach that can hold out a perspective of peace for all nations. Quite a few of these aspects have been reflected in international documents.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“But there is cause for concern: since the arms race is continuing in all fields while Treaty on the Elimination of the Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - the INF Treaty - is being implemented and disarmament negotiations are under way, since long-standing conflicts cannot be solved because not all of those involved are willing to take account of the legitimate interests of each and every party to those conflicts; since a number of countries have recorded substantial economic growth while an increasing number of third-world nations are falling back further and further in their levels of development; since the natural environment is increasingly deteriorating - one reason being that international measures taken to protect it are insufficient; and since attacks against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, as well as interference in international affairs of other States, are mounting while world-wide demands are made for strengthening the international order of law.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“To remove the kind of threat which weapons of mass destruction pose in our time, the German Democratic Republic believes the authority and influence of the United Nations will have to be brought into play more effectively than has been the case so far. Moreover, economic underdevelopment must be overcome and the natural environment preserved for man to exist. The potentials are there. What it takes to harness them is boldness in strengthening positive elements, carefulness in shoring up achievements, and resoluteness in stemming reverse tendencies.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“May I congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly and warmly wish you success. A few weeks ago the international community observed the fiftieth anniversary of Hitler Germany's criminal aggression against Poland, which was the beginning of the most devastating and murderous of all conflagrations in the history of mankind. That inferno forged a coalition of States with different social systems and also gave birth to the United Nations, whose deeds offered mankind the chance of a peaceful future. The lesson drawn by the peoples was that war and fascism must be done away with and violence banned from international life forever and that henceforth joint action must be taken for their elimination in peacetime.”
1989-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 44 (1989)
“The prestige and authority of the United Nations have been visibly enhanced through its latest peace-making efforts. That is an encouragement to redouble our efforts for the attainment of the lofty objectives of this world Organization. The German Democratic Republic, for its part, is ready to do that.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I reiterate today what the then Foreign Minister, Otto Winzer, said I5 years ago - that the socialist German State respected without any reservations the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and desired that they guide the actions of States world-wide. This State remains committed to promoting the work of the United Nations. The possibilities and mechanisms available to Member States and to the Organization are not yet fully utilized. It is also crucial for the effectiveness of the United Nations that co-operation among all States on an equal basis should not be hampered by discriminatory and unjustifiable restrictions Imposed on a certain number of permanent missions and reflected in the debates in the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“No doubt, a system that would warn of risk factors in the world economy could strengthen economic security. A report on this subject should be submitted to the United Nations not later than 1989 - that is, next year. The Warsaw Treaty States have put forward proposals in their declaration on "The impact of the arms race on the natural environment and other aspects of ecological security". The United Nations certainly has a special part to play in co-ordinating the efforts in the field of ecological security. Relevant proposals which have been submitted for holding meetings in this respect under United Nations auspices have our approval. For the Garman Democratic Republic 1988 means 15 years of co-operation within the United Nations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“There is an imperative need for co-operative solutions in overcoming underdevelopment, in the democratic restructuring of international economic relations, in international trade, monetary and financial relations, the environmental sector and many other fields of human activity. The United Nations constitutes the universal framework for efforts to achieve those ends. It is necessary to draft expeditiously an international development strategy for the 1990s, the special session of the General Assembly on international economic issues, to be held in the year 1990, could be useful in that regard. The external-debt problems of developing countries have to be solved globally and equitably - that is, in a manner that would guarantee a future of sustained growth and social progress for those countries.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The lessons of the past and the responsibility for the future should be perceived as a common obligation to act against fascism and neo-fascism in all its manifestations. Today more than 5 billion people live on earth, and by the turn of this century their number may well exceed 6 billion. They all need employment and food; they all have a right to shelter, health care and education. The solution of these formidable problems is becoming more and more an elementary condition for the maintenance of peace and security. The growth and prosperity enjoyed by some must no longer be attained at the expense and to the detriment of other States and peoples.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“May the agreed consultations and the forthcoming talks between Chairman Hun Sen of the Council of Ministers and Prince Norodom Sihanouk be successful. A source of hope is the resumption of negotiations between the leaders of the two communities towards resolving the Cyprus question. The efforts being made to achieve a peaceful settlement of the problems concerning Western Sahara also meet with our support. For the improvement of international relations to be enduring, united efforts are repaired, mainly for the observance of the supreme human right - the right to a life of peace. The German Democratic Republic advocates stepped-up co-operation to eliminate mass violations of human rights and to ensure implementation of all human rights - economic social, cultural, civil and political.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“All interested parties, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (FLO) and Israel, must of course participate in such a conference, to be held under the auspices of the United Nations. The Arabic "salaam* should be answered with a "shalom" from Tel Aviv. The German Democratic Republic emphatically supports the Guatemala plan for peace in Central America. The Nicaraguan Government has been doing all it can to implement that plan fully. It is for the contras and the Power that supports them to go their part of the way towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Outside interference in Nicaragua must come to an end. The same applies to Panama. The Jakarta Informal Meeting should be viewed as an expression of the endeavours of the Indochinese States to settle the Kampuchean conflict by political means.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Therefore, comprehensive and binding sanctions against the racist regime are a matter of necessity. Apartheid cannot be reformed: it must be abolished. Let me repeat on this Day of Solidarity with South African Political Prisoners: Nelson Mandela and all other patriots must be free at last. . We welcome the positive developments on the Horn of Africa, above all the peace agreement between Ethiopia and Somalia and the understanding between Ethiopia and Sudan. There is quasi-unanimity that an international Middle East conference would be the best way to find a comprehensive, just and hence lasting settlement to the protracted and extremely complex conflict in that region. It therefore would seem to be fitting for the Security Council to prepare a negotiating r ach an ism, at the level of foreign ministers if necessary.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Maximum restraint by the parties directly involved in the conflict and the withdrawal of foreign naval forces could have a favourable bearing on the peace process. As far as the situation on the Korean peninsula is concerned, the German Democratic Republic supports the proposals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for safeguarding peace and detente in that region. The negotiations between Angola, Cuba and South Africa and the agreements reached so far in regard to attaining Independence for Namibia should be viewed as an important step towards a political solution to the conflict in southern Africa. Implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978) continues to rank high on the agenda. But so long as apartheid persists in South Africa, destabilization and aggression will threaten the States of the region.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“We extend to him our sincere congratulations on the high distinction of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the United Nations peace-keeping forces, and encourage him to persist in his efforts. The Geneva agreements have been an important step towards bringing calm to the situation in and around Afghanistan. The Afghan people needs peace and national reconciliation to engage in reconstruction. For that, all sides must strictly fulfil the obligations they have undertaken. Externally supported terror and all kinds of foreign intervention must be discontinued. Security Council resolution 598 (1987) has proved to be a sound basis for settling the tragic and costly fighting between Iran and Iraq. The negotiations that have been started must now convert the truce into a lasting peace.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It confirms that dialogue, willingness to compromise, a sense of reality and perceptiveness are the only way towards just, comprehensive and lasting solutions. If positive results are to be achieved, all States should be committed to this aim, for all States, whether or not involved directly, are in any case directly affected. For these reasons it is both their right and their obligation to act rather than to remain aloof. At the same time it has become obvious that the United Nations can assist in the peaceful settlement of international conflicts if and when all States, but chiefly the sides to the conflicts themselves, support the Organization in this effort. Our particular acknowledgement and gratitude go to the Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, for the numerous initiatives he has taken.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Such is the way to fulfil the obligation, undertaken by the two States, that never again must war, but only peace, start from German soil - an obligation reaffirmed by General Secretary Erich Honecker and Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the joint communiqué published when the German Democratic Republic's highest representative paid an official visit to the Federal Republic about a year ago. The German Democratic Republic is ready to pursue this policy at any time. Thanks to a calmer international situation, thanks to initial successes in arms limitation and disarmament, and, not least, thanks to the improved relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, conditions have become more favourable for the settlement of international conflicts as well. Progress on such problems, crucial as it is for world peace, is evident indeed.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“As far as relations between them are concerned, there is something I wish to underline it is crucial that they be not a source of tensions and threats affecting the relationship between States in Europe, but rather a constructive factor in East-West relations. It is in the hands of the two German States to make their mutual relationship a desirable model of peaceful coexistence between States with different social systems. This should be possible if both sides take account of the existing realities and display political will, reason and realism.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“This and other material is what we could use, beginning at once, to build, brick by brick, the house of Europe in the spirit of the Helsinki Final Act. It is with this very goal in mind that we strive to conclude the Vienna follow-up meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers as soon as possible with a substantive document that is balanced in all parts. This would make it possible to start, as early as this year, the generally desired negotiations on the reduction of armed forces and conventional armaments in Europe and to agree on further confidence-building measures. The existence of two sovereign German States, independent of each other and with different social systems, is a constituent element of a peaceful European order.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The plan to establish a zone of confidence and security in Central Europe, put forward by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, Milos Jakes, like Vojciech Jaruzelski's memorandum on arms cuts in Central Europe, is an immediately practicable step, provided that there is a readiness in principle for confidence-building and arms limitation. The creation of a European centre to reduce the risk of war in Europe, or of a median ism for peaceful crisis management in Central Europe - the installation of a "hot line" between Berlin, Bonn and Prague - or of mixed observation posts at strategically important points, would promote confidence-building and disarmament.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The States parties to the Warsaw Treaty strongly support substantial reductions of armed forces and conventional armaments in Europe - that is, from the Atlantic to the Urals. The relevant three-stage proposal that they submitted in Warsaw takes account of the other side's ideas and could well provide a basis for negotiations, which could be opened as early as this year. The Warsaw Treaty States desire a situation in which any surprise attack or operation would be impossible, only the forces and equipment required for defence would be retained. That presupposes that this is the very objective of the military doctrines of both alliances.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I wish to recall here the offer made to the Federal Republic of Germany by the German Democratic Republic and Czechoslovakia to make an immediate start on negotiations to free the territories of these States, or keep their territories free, from chemical weapons. The parts of the Convention on a comprehensive prohibition of chemical weapons that have already been agreed in Geneva - notably, those on verification - could be tested in a practical way in such a zone. Other steps conducive to a final agreement would be an exchange of data on chemicals to be banned under the Convention, as well as model inspections at production sites of the chemical industry. The German Democratic Republic has made relevant data available, and other States remain called upon to do the same.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The Berlin Conference on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, where the broadest spectrum of peace activists met for an all-embracing, equal and open dialogue, has strengthened our resolve to pursue the proposal, which we submitted jointly with the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, for denuclearization in Central Europe. As for chemical weapons, a global ban should be instituted as soon as possible. Any methods - no matter who proposes them - will receive our support if they take us all closer to that goal with no further loss of time. In this respect, we welcome the new proposals put forward by President Francois Mitterrand. A chemical-weapon-free zone in Europe should be helpful in this context.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In Europe there is a concentration of destructive military capabilities unparalleled anywhere else in the world. For this continent, where two devastating world wars have begun in this century, disarmament is a vital question, indeed a question of survival. On the other hand, Europe is the continent where the Helsinki Final Act and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) process show that peaceful coexistence among States with different social systems is feasible and of undisputed benefit to all the parties involved. As for the remaining tactical nuclear weapons, their inclusion in the disarmament process in Europe should be called for most emphatically.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“That will reduce mistrust, help gradually to overcome the image of the "enemy", and finally generate confidence and therewith a readiness for co-operation. The positive experiences resulting from the Stockholm Declaration are an encouragement in this regard. The German Democratic Republic shares the view of the Six-Nation Initiative that it would be helpful to set up a multilateral verification system within the framework of the United Nations. Regrettably, peace cannot be taken for granted, least of all in Europe, a continent which has lived through more years of war than of peace. For that reason more than 40 years of peace - the longest period of peace in Europe to date - should not make us forget that this peace is fragile because it is built on arms.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“They envisage the following priorities: conclusion of a treaty on a 50 per cent reduction in Soviet and American strategic offensive arsenals together with strict adherence to the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, to be followed by further steps to reduce the arsenals of nuclear weapons to the point of their elimination·, a complete and general ban on nuclear-weapon tests and, as a step towards this goal, agreements between the USSR and the United States on decreasing the yield and number of their nuclear explosions; prevention of an arms race in outer space - to this end, a ban on anti-satellite weapons, the establishment of an inspectorate to observe all space launches, and the creation of an organization for the protection of outer space; a ban on chemical weapons·, radical reductions in armed forces and in conventional armaments in Europe; the inclusion of naval forces in the disarmament negotiations; prevention of the military abuse of the latest scientific and technological achievements; establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of peace - wherever possible - as important steps on the road to general and complete disarmament; mutual observation of the implementation of commitments or of arms postures - which means real control through effective verification.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Admittedly, ą world without weapons is still a distant hope. But measures for arms limitation and disarmament are the only means towards this end. The Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - the INF Treaty - has proved that this road is practicable. Relevant proposals to this end were submitted by the Warsaw Treaty States at the session of the Political Consultative Committee of the Alliance last July.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Let me call to mind the proposal of socialist States for a comprehensive system of international peace and security, and the proposals and ideas presented here by the Foreign Minister of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Let me recall the Six-Nation Initiative to build a new concept of global security without nuclear weapons, India's initiative to create a system of comprehensive global security, and the ideas of many Western European politicians to establish co-operative security structures and co-operative solutions. , ··' - AÍÍ these endeavours to introduce a new concept of international relations meet with the support of the socialist German State. The conditions have now become/mature enough to make it possible to push for results in the dialogue on -security policies in the United Nations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Deterrence counts on fear, engenders distrust and it can fail - not only in the event of irrational action but also because it is becoming more and more difficult for man to manage the highly sophisticated weapons systems. The alternative is a security that counts on political, economic, ecological, cultural and humanitarian co-operation, along with the systematic diminution of the military factor. This concept can transform the shared risk in which - like it or not - the international community finds itself at present, into a fabric of security shared by all nations. It is encouraging that the debate of this vital question has begun in East and West, and North and South.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)