YouSaid · the spoken record

Pipinelis

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS PIPINELIS

lines on the record: 44
first: 1961-09-24
most recent: 1968-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“If each of us were to contribute all his determination, goodwill and imagination and were to succeed in extinguishing hotbeds of discord in his own part of the world and in promoting understanding with his neighbours, a notable result could in the long run be achieved from which our whole international community would benefit. 82. It is in that spirit that the Greek Government has tried, as I have had the honour to explain, to serve the cause of the United Nations. It will continue to do so with the same faith and the same perseverance, convinced that in so doing it is setting an example of reasoned and effective devotion to the service of peace.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Today I shall limit myself to pointing out that, in the light of many precedents drawn from ancient times and of other similar attempts in modern times, the phase of immunity can today also portend the approaching collapse of our hopes for a new world. Therefore we must act, and act swiftly. 81. There is no need to rise up in indignation against this state of affairs and to call for the moral recovery of mankind. What we need today above all is a labour of conciliation, of construction, of pacification, no matter how limited its extent and its scope.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“And international public opinion, hypnotized to an increasing degree by the repetition of ready-made formulae, divided into irrevocably hostile camps, has ceased to exert any corrective influence on this state of affairs. 80. In addition, by virtue of that situation and of many other additional elements to which it inevitably gives rise, we are coming to accept as normal the immunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of international infractions when faced with faits accomplis that can only be reversed by force. It seems to me that here is an ultimate step in the development of our international institutions that we cannot ignore.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“What is giving the current crisis in international relations its alarming character can be summed up by reference to two sets of facts whose coexistence, whether accidental or not, bodes ill for the future. 78. First of all there is an increase in areas of friction and misunderstanding among nations and individuals. The clearest concepts, finally formulated through the thought or ethics of nations over the centuries, are today understood differently, according to the ideological disciplines to which they are obliged to conform. 79. Words themselves, “beacons of human thought designed to guide it through the night of time", are in the process of distorting reality instead of illuminating it.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“The participation in our labours of a new African State, Swaziland, to which I extend my greetings and best wishes, is further evidence of the progress the international community has been able to achieve on the road to decolonization. 75. Finally, allow me to conclude with some thoughts of a general nature on the present state of the world. 76. I am certain that no one in this Hall will be surprised if I stress the truly serious nature of the situation — serious not solely because of the fact that difficult and inextricable problems are accumulating around us. Very often in the past we have been able to surmount crises that have been far more serious, and the world’s confidence in our Organization has survived them and has been strengthened. 77.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“As a non-nuclear country, Greece has expressed in the past and continues to express certain misgivings concerning the situation that might one day result from “nuclear blackmail”. Nevertheless, hopeful that the conclusion of the non-proliferation treaty would lead to increased trust among the great Powers and contribute to world-wide security, the Greek Government lost no time in signing that instrument. 73. The Greek Government expresses the genuine hope that this initiative will be followed by other efforts leading to general disarmament and consequently towards international détente. That is in conformity with the principles and goals of Greek policy, which is aimed at the maintenance and strengthening of peace. 74.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Hanoi’s condemnations of the so-called imperialist plans of the Western Powers cannot conceal its burden of responsibility for the continuation of the Viet-Nam war and for the prolongation of the sufferings inflicted on the people of that unfortunate country. 71. It is true that in the area of disarmament and the regulation of armaments we have this year recorded some encouraging results. The conclusion of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons [resolution 2373(XXII)] is an important event, especially when viewed within the broader context of its influence on efforts being made towards general and complete disarmament under international control. 72.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Since the idea of peace is indivisible, we cannot avoid concern over the continuation of the war in Viet-Nam. Peace-loving peoples are all too deeply aware of the increasing tempo of material destruction as well as of the sufferings and the frightful loss of life entailed. Thus there was widespread satisfaction when a few months ago, following serious peace proposals repeated on several occasions from this very rostrum by the United States of America, negotiations were entered in Paris. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to note that five months later, the negotiations are only marking time. United States limitation of bombing has not led to a reciprocal move on the part of North Viet-Nam, which has, on the contrary, increased its troop infiltrations and intensified its attacks against civilian centres in the South.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“confusion that could enable each member to interfere as it pleases in the affairs of others, to foment internal conflicts and to enlarge without limit the areas of friction among peoples, rather than to reduce them. 68. Thus the Assembly had very compelling reasons to condemn intervention — of any sort and under any circumstances - in the domestic affairs of any country in its resolution 2136(XX). A State’s adherence to an ethnic, ideological or other bloc can in no way entail the alienation or limitation of its sovereign rights. 69. The foregoing remarks lead us to the conclusion that even the pretexts under cover of which the invasion — in itself blameworthy — took place have no foundation in the norms that are now generally accepted as controlling international life and inter-State relations, nor in plain common sense. 70.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“We are no longer living in the distant past when Talleyrand could say: “Non-intervention is a metaphysical and political term that means more or less the same thing as intervention". 66. Indeed, we reject the concept according to which adherence to this or that system of alliance deprives the members of that alliance of the right of adapting their domestic developments to their own particular circumstances. And we are even less ready to grant the strongest State in such an alliance the right to watch over the ideological orthodoxy of its members. 67. That is not only an offence repugnant to any conscience that cares in the slightest for its national dignity. It is more than a crime; it is a mistake, for it means plunging the international community into a state of increased and dangerous.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“What occurred in Czechoslovakia has thwarted lengthy efforts undertaken towards achieving better understanding among the Members of our Organization and has shown us that in certain circles, the policy of détente and the respect for the self-determination of populations are far from having become the rule of conduct on all occasions. 65. The condemnation of that action by nearly all countries, irrespective of their political and social systems, of their orientation and of their loyalties, has given clear and eloquent proof that the international community, whose moral core has been greatly strengthened by that crisis, is not prepared to acknowledge any mitigating circumstance or any justification for aggression whatsoever, from wherever it may come.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Those principles must be scrupulously and consistently respected by every member of the international community. That is the only way in which professions of faith in the principles of our Charter will take on the quality of acts of high international morality and cease to be tactical manoeuvres serving purely opportunistic ends. 63. The tragic events that have taken place in Central Europe have filled us with the deepest dismay. The violation of the principles of non-intervention and free self-determination has been recognized as a direct threat by every country that regards respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter as the best assurance of and safeguard for its own sovereignty and independence. 64.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Greece, whose bonds of uninterrupted friendship With the peoples of the region are age-old, and which wishes to see peoples living in peace, considers that the resolution of 22 November 1967 provides the basis for such a settlement. Greece urges the parties to the conflict to give evidence of a moderate and realistic spirit and, availing themselves of the untiring efforts of the Special Representative, to move towards a settlement that could lead to peace. 62. At the same time the implementation of the principles of the settlement of disputes by peaceful means, of respect for sovereignty and independence, and of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other States — principles that lie at the very basis of the resolution of 22 November 1967 — must be carried out not only in the Middle East, but everywhere in the world.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“The Security Council reaffirmed what had already been recognized and upheld by the world’s conscience, namely, that acquisition of territory through military conquest is inadmissible. A war, even a victorious war, cannot solve the problems it claims to settle. It can only aggravate existing resentments and render peaceful co-existence between neighbours more vulnerable. 59. Terrorism and reprisals for their part also solve nothing and only lead to new acts of violence. 60. If we wish to break out of that vicious circle, a just, equitable and lasting settlement must be sought through negotiation, of whatever nature and method. 61.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“At previous General Assembly sessions, the Greek delegation had occasion to state its position on the Middle East situation, which continues to be the scene of grave and murderous incidents and of terrible human suffering. The situation in that part of the world is governed by an intransigence which does nothing to heal wounds that remain open. 57. Notwithstanding the praiseworthy efforts of Mr. Jarring, the Secretary-General’s special representative, who has worked unceasingly towards the achievement of the objectives set forth in Security Council resolution 242(1967) of 22 November 1967, the path to a peaceful settlement remains closed. Yet everyone realizes that peace can be achieved neither by conquest and territorial expansion nor by violation of the United Nations resolutions. 58.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“In any event, we would need an over-all atmosphere of calm and of increasing trust, for only in such an atmosphere can generous and beneficial ideas prosper. But several serious events have recently occurred that darken the horizon and trouble our thoughts. 54. Despite the heartening developments that marked the beginning of the year, the conditions under which the current session of the General Assembly is opening are none the less disquieting. 55. First of all, we have the Middle East crisis, which has proved insoluble thus far and therefore lies open to further complications that would be even more serious. That crisis is thus a principal threat to peace in a highly sensitive region. 56.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Such a statute could in particular lay down the rules to be followed in the area of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of States and in the matter of intergovernmental consultation whenever common interests might be involved, especial care being naturally taken not to impact upon commitments already entered into with respect to other countries. Indeed, there is a wide area in which effective co-operation between the Balkan countries could take place for the furthering of their common interests without bringing their diplomatic policies into question. Those ideas, which have in fact been under study for a long time within our Organization, cannot of course be put forward except in an atmosphere of mutual trust based on a sincere desire for détente and for the friendly settlement of existing problems. 53.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Those heartening developments, as well as the Greek Government’s firm resolve to pursue its policy of good relations with all members of the international community irrespective of their political and social system — a policy based on respect for sovereignty, independence and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries — led me last April to speak of the possibility of drawing up a new statute of relations among the Balkan States, a sort of code of international good conduct that would define more clearly the duties incumbent on each State.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“The renewal of trustful relations with Turkey, the friendly relations existing between the Yugoslav people and ourselves, and the normalizing of our relations with Bulgaria and Romania following the settlement of the differences that resulted from the implementation of the 1947 Peace Treaty, are providing opportunities for the establishment of peaceful coexistence in that region of the world. 52.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“The evolution of the situation in Cyprus has led to a marked improvement in Greek-Turkish relations. Thus, in joint agreement with the Turkish Government, we have been able to undertake the study of some questions of purely bilateral interest that had been pending throughout the duration of the crisis. The progress we have been able to achieve is already becoming evident in several areas. 50. That fortunate evolution leads me to express the firm hope that Greece and Turkey will resume their role in that part of the world in the same spirit that inspired them between 1930 and 1950, to the benefit of the international community and more especially of the peoples of the two countries. 51.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“It is evident that the current talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots do not cover all the questions that make up the Cyprus problem, and other contacts in a larger framework will be necessary before an over-all solution can be reached. 47. For the moment, we are hopeful that the two parties will give evidence of an equal spirit of goodwill and realism and that their present talks will result in eliminating all sources of friction. That will constitute a notable step towards the ultimate solution. 48. I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all who have played a part in those encouraging developments, and especially to the personal contribution of our Secretary-General, who has constantly lent his support towards achieving the aims of the Security Council. 49.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“For its part, the Turkish Government also responded to the appeal made by the Secretary-General, and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, accepting the Secretary-General’s offer of good offices, submitted to him concrete proposals on certain aspects of the Cyprus question, proposals that provided a basis for the direct contacts between Greek and Turkish Cypriots also suggested by U Thant. 45. In addition, the President of the Republic of Cyprus took internal measures for pacification which quickly led to a marked improvement in the situation on the island. It is to be hoped that the leaders of the Turkish community will for their part do their utmost to find a way to contribute effectively to the success of the efforts undertaken by the negotiators. 46.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“Faithful to the principles of the United Nations Charter and desirous of devoting its utmost efforts to the strengthening of peace, my Government has made an effort to contribute to the marked improvement in the conditions that currently exist in the Republic of Cyprus, as well as in our relations with our neighbour, Turkey. Greece played a prominent part in solving the very grave crisis of November 1967. Giving effect to a series of appeals addressed to the parties by the Secretary-General, the Greek Government took concrete steps that opened the way to pacification.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“There is no question of underestimating what the United Nations has already been able to achieve. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that we are far from having been able to fulfil the hopes of our peoples. Thus, it is our duty to make up a balance-sheet of the present world situation and to draw the unavoidable conclusions. In so doing, I shall attempt briefly to express my Government’s opinion on some of the problems that deserve particular attention and on the way in which it has, in so far as lay in its power, fulfilled its duties. 44.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“40. Mr. President, on behalf of the Greek delegation, I should like to express to you our pleasure at the fact that the General Assembly is meeting under your presidency this year. In congratulating you on your election, which is both a tribute to your country and an expression of the high regard in which you yourself are held, we should also like to wish you the greatest success in the fulfilment of the task, as important as it is arduous, that has been entrusted to you. 41. I should also like to pay tribute to the outgoing President, Mr. Corneliu Manescu, for the competent and effective way in which he fulfilled his heavy duties throughout a difficult year that was fraught with complex problems. 42. My Government fully shares the concerns to which the Secretary-General gives expression in his annual report [A/7201 and Add.1]. 43.”
1968-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 23 (1968)
“. 88. This homage is due to him; also, and above all, because of his personality, his sense of duty and his abnegation in the service of the ideals to which he devoted himself. It is because of these qualities that his achievements will have lasting effects on the history of the United Nations. I myself can find no more fitting tribute to him than the words of a great thinker of the last century: "Eminent men have never been happy; for it is only by their unrelenting struggle that they are able to save what is ideal in their age. But this is why their work can only be an accumulated youth rescued from the erosion of time". 89. Destiny has put an end to the achievements of a great worker for international co-operation. Yet no human achievement is really finished when it leaves such a heritage. =”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“We shall oppose this suggestion in the conviction that we are defending not only the letter and spirit of the Charter—which have been so eloquently analysed by the representative of Italy, Mr. Martino [1018th meeting] and by others— but the future of our Organization and the rights of all peoples, particularly the peoples of the small countries. 87. We cannot speak of the post of the Secretary- General without mentioning the noble and moving figure of its last holder. The homage which is his| due, and which I now wish to pay him on behalf of my country, has been earned not only by the outstanding service he has rendered to our Organization and the nobility of the idea which inspired him in his work, which was to make the United Nations an "instrument of Governments through which tiny... should.,. try to develop forms of executive action..”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“This is necessary both because of the needs of the normal working of a vast organization such as ours and because of the prospects opened before us by the possible development of the disarmament plan. To destroy the unity of the post of Secretary-General would endanger the whole future of disarmament. 86. The force of events has led the Assembly and the Council, in each of the resolutions they have adopted, to request the Secretary-General to ensure the implementation of tb/^i'3solution concerned and to assume further responsibilities. We think it absurd to consider reducing the efficacy of his office by setting up a sort of triumvirate, which would be condemned beforehand to impotence.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“It would be useless to speak of an international force, which in extreme cases would have to deal with an aggressor and whose command would obviously be under the supervision of the Security Council, if its unity were impaired at the level of the Secretary-General and of the military command itself. I know of few countries which would be ready to entrust their national security to a command of this kind. Yet both recent and remote history provide well-known cases of the disappointments to which such a form of military organization leads inevitably. 84. Hence we must not endanger the element of unity and continuity clearly and solemnly established in the provisions of Articles 97 and 100 of the Charter concerning the office of Secretary-General. 85.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“My delegation has already drawn attention to this matter on several occasions and proposes once again to make its own contribution to the discussion of the problem. In this connexion it is hardly necessary to add that the problem of disarmament is necessarily related to that of possible threats to peace, particularly the problem of subversion in Member States. It is meaningless to speak of respect for the independence of peoples while trying to destroy its foundations by infiltration or subversion. 83. These matters bring me naturally to the question of the Secretary-General.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“Human nature being what it is, we cannot yet rule out the possibility that certain States, acting in good faith but concerned only about their national security and the schemes they attribute to their adversaries, may be reluctant to carry out the full provisions of a plan for gradual disarmament. 81. The danger of prematurely establishing international observation of the level of existing armaments in each country—assuming that is possible to control all armaments—seems negligible beside these disturbing possibilities. 82. In any case, simply because of these difficulties and of the inevitable disparity between any agreement which may be reached and a rapidly developing situation, we think more attention should be paid to that part of the plans under consideration which concerns the establishment of an international force.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“But is there not an equally great and probable danger in controlling only those armaments which have been destroyed at the end of each stage of the plan, remaining in ignorance of the existing level of armaments in each country and, perhaps, having no disarmament at all? I think this danger is particularly serious because, whatever progress is made in disarmament; the countries at the highest level of industrial development will still have a reserve of technical and scientific knowledge and facilities with which they could always reopen the whole question. It has been rightly said that it is possible to destroy the atomic bomb but not the knowledge of it.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“Of course, as several Members have pointed out, the application of the agreed principles will probably be a laborious and uncertain task. But we find it hard to imagine that it will be impossible to find some solution of the crucial question of control over the successive stages of disarmament, taking into account all legitimate interests. I can understand, to a certain extent, the concern expressed from this rostrum by His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union [1016th meeting], who is anxious not to hand over all his country's military and technical secrets to international observation prematurely, or before the process of disarmament has reached its decisive stage. 80.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“No can anyone apply the Charter by condemning the executive of our Organization to impotence, by refusing to co-operate in the election of a single Secretary-General under the conditions clearly and unequivocally set forth in Article 97. 78. At this grave moment it is particularly important to be clear and frank. In the divided and stormy world in which we live today, the fragment of law which the storm has spared are our only guard. We should preserve them with all our strength. 79. With regard to the problem of, disarmament, I wish first to say that my delegation is happy that an agreement of principle has been reached in this field between the Governments of the United States and the Soviet Union [A/4879].”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“To evade decisions taken by this distinguished Assembly, in one way 6r another, is no way to apply the principles of the Charter. 74. Nor is it consistent with the obligations imposed by the Charter to hinder the working of our Organization by avoiding the payment of financial contributions required by decisions of the Assembly. 75. No one can apply the principles of the Charter by speaking of the self-determination of peoples whenever this might embarrass an adversary, while avoiding the very word whenever fear or self-interest stand in the way of any demand for self-determination. 76. No one can apply the principles of the Charter by making the election of new Members a matter for bargaining and ignoring the strict rules laid down in the Charter in this connexion. 77.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“First, as a matter Of principle, I think I should say that my delegation will adhere strictly to the full provisions of the Chafer, honestly interpreted. Our attitude on each question under discussion will be decided not by considerations of expediency but by the rules of law established by the Charter. In a political assembly such as ours it is inevitable that the legal and real aspects of things should often conflict. But we should condemn our institution to inaction and failure if we were to pay too much attention to special interests or, by misinterpretation, to make law the servant of self-interest. Let us have the courage to admit that this attitude has prevailed for too long and that there is no doubt that it has done more than anything else to undermine the foundations on which our Organization rests. 73.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“Let them remember the immortal words of the Athenian ambassadors who addressed the people of Sparta on the eve of the Peloponnesian War, throwing down this noble challenge: "None deserve praise except those who, when called upon to dominate other peoples by reason of their natural superiority, prove to be more just than the force at their disposal would allow them to be." 70. The Hellenic delegation's attitude to the various problems on the agenda will be based on these considerations. I shall not therefore make a detailed statement at this stage of the views we shall put forward in the course of the debates. 71. However , there are three matters on which I think it necessary to give our views here and now. 72.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“Nor can one help to establish a spirit of tranquillity and understanding by putting forward sensational proposals with no purpose but propaganda or by mechanically repeating slogans and personal insults which offend all restraint and dignity. 69. Still less can one encourage the spirit of moderation and restraint which is so necessary at this time by exhibitions of overwhelming power or threats of annihilation. In the tempestuous events of our generation, our peoples—all our peoples—have often proved that, although to live in peace is something precious, such a life can never be bought at the cost of the moral values on which its existence depends* Let those who have the means resist vain hopes of intimidation and try rather to gain the confidence of all.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“For a country like Greece, which has no direct responsibility for the negotiations but is still concerned about their issue, I believe that our duty can only be to avoid by our attitude anything which might unnecessarily poison the situation and make the negotiators' task more difficult. 66. We shall adhere strictly to this course of action, which Greece has followed constantly since it has belonged to this Organization. Yet it is important that this course of action should be generally accepted and followed in good, faith. 67. No one can claim to have a true desire for peace if he takes every opportunity of breaking contractual undertakings, repudiating the clauses of peace treaties and bringing about situations which prejudge the equitable settlement of problems. 68.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“In particular, the success of the present negotiations would remove one of the chief sources of tension between peoples, at leas'; for sometime; it would restore confidence in the future and might enable the work of the Organization to return gradually to normal. It may be clear to the world that nothing irreparable separates us and that peace is better served by the gradual solution of existing difficulties than by resounding formulas and spectacular plans designed only to strike the imagination. Once more, we might say that the most direct road to victory is success. 65. In the circumstances each of us has a particular duty, depending on his own position.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“It is undeniable that the difficulties which we encounter in our Organization arise essentially from this spirit of suspicion and anxiety. As Lord Home said rightly a few days ago [1017th meeting]: " .. .the United Nations reflects the political divisions in the world... so long as the world is divided the United Nations can be no more than a shadow of what it ought to be". 63. This could not have been better said. This fundamental statement illustrates the full importance of the efforts now being undertaken, to solve the Berlin crisis. 64. Either failure or success would inevitably lead to diplomatic and psychological chain reactions.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“More generally, we can say that the Berlin problem, which is also the problem of Germany, is the keystone of relations between East and West in Europe. Mr. Gromyko referred to this fact a few days ago [1016th meeting, paragraph 46] when, in a very important part of his speech, he expressed with some passion his country's deep concern about what he called the adventurous plans of the West German revenge-seekers". Long and painful past experience might explain but not justify his attitude. Yet we cannot ignore the intense anxiety caused in most European countries by a series of diplomatic and political events which has taken place since the war in this part of the world and which is now expressed and symbolized by the name of Berlin. 62.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“Whatever the importance of the other problems with which we shall have to deal, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it is chiefly because of the Berlin problem that the present tension has arisen and that our greatest anxieties are justified. 60. What is at issue—as we have already heard many times—is the peace of the world. The crisis also involves the fate of more than two million men and their indisputable right to an independent and secure life. In the face of this twofold danger that mankind will be submerged in a nuclear cataclysm or that terror and weariness will lead to the abandonment of the ideals which bring meaning and joy into human life, every sensitive and sensible man must feel great anxiety. 61.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)
“58. The spontaneous unanimity with which you have been elected, Mr; President, and the praise bestowed upon you by those who have spoken before me are evidence of the respect and confidence you have inspired in all members of this distinguished Assembly. Allow me to associate myself unreservedly with this general confidence, which, I am sure, will enable you to carry out your task successfully in the unusual circumstances in which this Assembly has met, 59. The Assembly meets under the shadow of the Berlin crisis, the greatest international crisis which has convulsed the world since the end of the war.”
1961-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 16 (1961)