YouSaid · the spoken record

Pinheiro

THE RECORD WRITES THIS SPEAKER AS PINHEIRO

lines on the record: 112
first: 1987-09-24
most recent: 1992-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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 serious events in the occupied territories demonstrate the fragility of previous solutions. Any lasting solution will have to take account of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and recognise the right to exist of all countries of the region. Portugal together with its European partners, believes that the expeditious convening of an international conference would provide the appropriate framework for the essential negotiations between the parties directly involved. As for Latin America, I wish to reaffirm our fraternal solidarity with the countries of that vast region, and our total readiness to contribute actively to their efforts to overcome their difficulties.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It is our imperative duty to arrive expeditiously at the consensus needed to fulfil that requirement. In this context Portugal supports without reservation the proposal made in this Assembly several days ago by the President of the United States for a concerted international effort to ensure the elimination of chemical weapons. I wish to express my country's satisfaction at the cease-fire recently signed between Iran and Iraq, which should allow for a just and lasting solution of that long conflict, which has claimed so many victims. I therefore pay a tribute to the endeavours of the United Nations in persuading the parties involved to abide by Security Council resolution 598 (1987). As for the Israeli-Arab conflict, we note with regret that the present situation is not encouraging.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“My country is confident that a quick settlement at the Vienna meeting will permit the approval of a final, substantive and well-balanced document that will make possible the beginning of negotiations on conventional-weapons stability and the renewal of talks on confidence- and security-building measures. Nuclear and conventional disarmament - the guarantee of peace and security - is the indissoluble condition of the establishment of universal peace. We therefore welcome the significant progress registered in this area. However, we view with great concern the recent upsurge in the use of chemical weapons. My country, which is a signatory to the 1925 Geneva Protocol, is firmly committed to efficient, global and verifiable implementation of a convention that will ensure the total elimination of this type of weapon.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“My country welcomed the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - INF Treaty - as a positive and important step towards international detente, and therefore towards peace. In this connection we support the objectives already set by both parties of a 50 per cent reduction in the strategic nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Soviet Union. Portugal is confident that in the near future decisive moves will be made on conventional arms. Specifically, we hope that the existing imbalances between East and West will be corrected through a process of negotiation. This would eliminate the disproportion, thus making possible stability and security at the lowest level of armaments. He therefore have the greatest hopes of the CSC£ process.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“I cannot leave this subject without referring to the deep concern in my country at the situations of Nelson Mandela, whose seventieth birthday was recently celebrated by the international community, and the Sharpeville Six - both crying examples of injustice. Portugal, a member of the European Community and of the Atlantic Alliance, and a participant in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), has followed East-West developments with particular attention. I note with satisfaction and confidence the clear improvement in recent months in the relations between the two super-Powers. Today, after the Washington and Moscow summits, there is a positive spirit} dialogue is more open and frequent, and decisive steps have been taken, specifically in the areas of arms control and disarmament.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It is in the hands of the South African authorities, had they the political courage and awareness of the irreversibility of history, to make of the Republic a multiracial, economically advanced country, a revealing-pot of all its communities - in short, a real focal point for the development and progress that would undoubtedly have a positive impact on all southern Africa. Indeed, it is up to the South Africans - all South Africans - to decide on the best way to implement reforms, the need for which is incontrovertible. But it is clear to me that freer political expression by the black majority would undoubtedly contribute to the creation of the climate of mutual confidence indispensable for the transformation of the South African society.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Portugal has denounced and condemned, not only in the United Nations but also on many other occasions, the immorality and injustice that are the main features of the apartheid and bantustanization systems aimed at perpetuation of the political, economic, social and cultural discrimination that is at the heart of the continually worsening internal situation in that country. Here again we appeal to the Government in Pretoria to deal with its internal problems with the open-mindedness recently shown in the Namibia negotiations and the pursuit of peace in Angola. Any progress towards the definitive breaking-up of the apartheid system is, in this framework, a fundamental and high-priority matter. Only the eradication of apartheid will give all communities of that country access to political participation, work, security and social well-being.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“However, it is really up to the Government of South Africa to shoulder its responsibilities and give evidence of a true willingness to pursue dialogue and good-neighbourliness. This would prove that it remains faithful to the spirit and the letter of the historic Nkomati Agreement, which was recently reaffirmed at the Songo meeting. Nevertheless, I wish to reaffirm my country's conviction that complete detente in the region can be attained only through the elimination of internal tensions in the Republic of South Africa.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In this context I wish to send a very special message of greetings and solidarity to the Angolan people and to reaffirm Portugal's readiness to do everything possible, at both the bilateral and the multilateral level, to help the People's Republic of Angola in its difficult task of achieving the reconstruction and development to which it is justly entitled. As for Mozambique, I take this opportunity to condemn once again the intolerable situation of insecurity created by a guerrilla movement supported from outside. It is high time to allow the martyred people of that country to work in peace towards a better future. Mozambique also deserves the solidarity of the international community in its struggle for peace and development.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“In the last two months we have seen historic developments which have opened up new horizons to the peoples of Angola and Namibia, who, I believe, will overcome the long years of suffering and enjoy in the future conditions of development and progress in a climate of peace, with due respect for territorial integrity. I congratulate all those who, by their pragmatism, commitment to dialogue and readiness to yield on accessory matters to guarantee the essentials, made possible the achievement of a breakthrough in a process that dragged on for so long.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“But I am pleased to note that every year Portuguese participation in the structure of multilateral machinery of great importance - namely, the Lomé Convention and the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference - assumes a wider expression of political and economic solidarity specially geared to realistic development priorities. In this context I believe then we can emphasize the United Nations special Programme of Action for Africa, which is clear evidence of the attention and commitment of the Organization in the quest for a solution to this problem, to which none of us can remain indifferent.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Africa is of special importance to Portugal because of the historical and cultural ties which bin-l us together and which we continue to strengthen today, co-operating to the mutual benefit of and in the interest of the socio-economic progress of the countries involved. This co-operation, as the practical expression of an active political relationship, is definitely more visible in bilateral actions with the African countries whose official language is Portuguese: Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, Angola and Mozambique.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Here I wish to recall the proposal made last May by the Prime Minister of Portugal in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to create in Lisbon a North-South centre, with a flexible structure, to work as a forum for a permanent exchange of views with the objective of encouraging a climate of understanding and confidence between North and South. We hope to have the support and participation of all States represented them. My country acknowledges with appreciation the increasing value which is being attached to this aspect of international relations, because that is in line with the historical role that Portugal has played in the world and corresponds fully to the way in which we envisage our place in the community of nations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The processes of structural adjustment which are being implemented by several developing countries, in a courageous way and at an obvious political and social cost, deserve growing support from the industrialized countries, through integrated actions in co-ordination with all entities taking part in financing and in an active dialogue with the beneficiary countries. For historical and cultural reasons known to all, my country pays very special attention to the question of development assistance. That serious problem now affecting the peoples and countries of the so-called third world is of great concern to us, and we are deeply committed to the search for means to solve it.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The perspective being defined at the Community level is that sectoral interventions should be complementary to the process of development, and not mere emergency operations lacking long-term effectiveness. This is, in our view, the most effective and responsible path to pursue to aim for a progressive balance of the system of exchange so as to achieve the harmonious development of international trade. I believe that the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC) deserves the continuing support of the international community, being an experiment in regional co-operation with practical achievements of major importance for the economic self-reliance of the countries of the area.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The successive Lomé Conventions must be singled out, because they have established a relationship of co-operation, outlined in a freely agreed legal framework. They associate the interested countries in a structure of permanent consultation which is an important forum for the development of the North-South dialogue. I should like in this context to draw attention to my country's commitment to and interest in the preparation, within the framework of the Community, of the negotiations on a new convention between the European Economic Community (EEC) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. We believe that the relations fostered between the Community and its 66 partners in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are an important example in the area of co-operation and aid for development.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“This situation - to which the inadequacies of prevailing models of development, the seriousness of certain structural and conjectural imbalances in the international economic order and the extreme vulnerability to natural catastrophes of many African societies, often contribute - is characterized by the stagnation of growth, high rates of inflation and a disturbing level of external indebtedness. This question was dealt with here during the session which analysed the implementation of the United Nations special Programme of Action for Africa. Without ignoring the responsibilities which primarily rest with the Africans themselves, that is only fair to recall that the member countries of the European Community have tried to create efficient schemes of aid to least developed countries.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It is in a constructive spirit, and having in mind primarily respect ¡for the legitimate rights and aspirations of the people of East Timor, that we envisage the continuance of this mediation process. We sincerely hope that №at spirit will also prevail on the part of Indonesia. The international community views with justified apprehension the continuing deterioration of economic conditions in a great number of countries, especially on the African continent.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The defence of the rights, freedoms and specific identity of its people - so often proclaimed in this forum as an imperative for the international community as a whole when referring to other colonial Territories - is also the collective responsibility of us all as Members of this Organization committed to the observance of its fundamental principles. We cannot ignore the drama of East Timor without becoming accomplices in an intolerable policy of fait accompli imposed by force. Portugal will do its utmost to find through dialogue a just and comprehensive solution acceptable to the international community. We are fully committed to collaborating with the Secretary-General, whose mediation efforts I acknowledge with gratitude.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Portugal - I repeat once again - has no claim to sovereignty over the Territory of East Timor. We uphold the right to self-determination of East Timor, and we cannot understand why the occupying force, which constantly invokes the benefits brought by its administration to the well-being of the inhabitants, fears to face the result of a free act of self-determination. If, as has been argued, hearts and minds are already won over to its cause, why fear the expression of the will of the people? East Timor is for us a moral, historical and legal responsibility.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Portugal does not deny its share of the responsibility for the difficulties and troubles that have affected that process since its beginnings, but we cannot accept that such events legitimise its invasion and occupation by Indonesia and the subsequent denegation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of its people, including its inalienable right to self-determination. No circumstances whatsoever could legitimise the ruthless way in which repression was waged in the Territory, with an intolerable price in human life and sacrifice. A people, numbering a few hundred thousand, which saw a fourth of its citizens killed, which is subject to an authority it did not choose and whose rights, freedoms and fundamental guarantees are restricted, demands an opportunity to choose its own political destiny.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“The question of the decolonization of East Timor is a thorn in the international conscience and a challenge to the consistency with which the essential principles of decolonization, so often invoked and reaffirmed as β fundamental part of the heritage of the Organization, are applied and observed. It is sad to see in the case of East Timor the flagrant and direct violation of such principles perpetrated by a country which was also subjected to colonialism and which performed such an important role in the struggle for emancipation of the colonized peoples. It is 13 years since the Non-Self-Governing Territory of East Timor, then under Portuguese administration, saw its process of decolonization interrupted when it was invaded and occupied by its powerful neighbour.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“It will surprise nobody if I single out first the question of East Timor, As the United Nations seems to be resuming its role in the peaceful solution of conflicts, while we welcome the successes registered in the solution of several international problems of the outmost gravity and the effective progress achieved in settling others that until now have apparently defied solution, I regret to have to refer to a question which has dragged on for years without any meaningful progress towards a just solution in accordance with the principles and fundamental resolutions of the United Nations.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“His actions have certainly contributed to the recent awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the peace-keeping forces of the United Nations. Portugal as the current President of the European Community, has wide a statement on behalf of the 12 member States in which it addressed the most Important and relevant issues in the present international situation. I reaffirm our support for that statement. However, I should like to recall the importance which my Government attaches to some of those issues.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-third session. I particularly want to express, on behalf of Portugal and on my own behalf, all the confidence we have in you and our conviction that positive results will be achieved owing to your professional skills and total commitment. Similarly, I wish to express my gratitude and that of my country for the generous and serious work carried out by the President of the General Assembly at its forty-second session, Mr. Peter Florin, to whom I address ray warmest greetings. 1 should also like to join all those who have praised the outstanding performance of the Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, and the commitment and dedication he has shown in resolving the problems which have been of such concern to us.”
1988-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 43 (1988)
“Allow me in conclusion to emphasize again the total devotion of my country to the success of the United Nations as an instrument of peace and progress in the international community.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In this connection I should like to pay a tribute to the Secretary-General for his initiatives directed towards a stricter rationalization of expenditure and more efficient management and tighter control of human and financial resources. Such measures, of course, are applicable to the whole United Nations system, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which should not only be subject to a more strict and efficient management but also regain its universal vocation. These were the main reasons that led my country to nominate for the director-generalship of UNESCO a Portuguese whose well-known and undeniable merits would ensure the rapid and effective achievement of those goals.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I began by stating that the ideals embodied in the Charter are still valid today indeed I consider them part of the goals that move Governments and men: peace, economic and social progress, respect for the individual and the freedom and independence for each nation. It is for this Organization especially the Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, in whom we fully trust, to fulfil the difficult mission of continuing and renewing that noble and worthy task. We are confident that lasting solutions to the present financial crisis will be found, solutions that will satisfy all and hence contribute to the support for and prestige of the actions of this forum. Only then will this Organization be able to fulfil its original pledge and play the role that is its tight.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We cannot fail to mention Afghanistan and stress once again the wish of Portugal to see that country, free of the presence of foreign troops and external pressures, find peace, and with that peace be granted the right to self-determination. Another country that has had to bear the occupation of foreign troops for several years now is Kampuchea. In that case also the international community and in particular the Secretary-General should spare no effort in the search for a just and peaceful solution that will safeguard the territorial boundaries and the independence and free will of that people.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“As for the conflict between Israel and the Arab countries, we are convinced that underlying the problems faced by the region is the postponement of solutions. Together with other countries of the Common Market, our country will do everything possible to reach realistic, balanced and lasting solutions to this issue, taking into consideration the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the need to withdrawal from occupied Arab territories and recognition of the right of all the nations of the area to peaceful coexistence. It is thus with great hope that we face the reopening of the dialogue between Europe and the Arab countries. We firmly believe that invaluable benefits can stem from a more perfect understanding and more conscientious consultation with the large family of Arab countries.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In accordance with Security Council resolution 598 (1987), which is a good example of the unity at present prevailing in the international community, we uphold freedom of navigation and free trade in every part of the world, and cannot accept that principles universally accepted and enshrined in international documents signed by every nation should be jeopardized. We likewise fully support the endeavours of the Secretary-General in the search for peace and a lasting, dignified agreement that may lead to the ending of the conflict that has been undermining Iran and Iraq. We are confident that the Secretary-General's decisiveness may become a crucial element in this issue, as long as both parties prove willing to search for peaceful solutions, without any reservation.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“We hope that this measure will contribute not only to a more secure Europe, but also to greater stability and collective safety, which it should never impair. It is with deep concern that we have noted in the last few weeks the deterioration of the situation in the Gulf region. We join whole-heartedly in all the urgent appeals from all corners of the world for an end to all acts of violence and intimidation, so as to achieve a cease-fire in the area as the pre-condition of the establishment of an environment of understanding in which genuine solutions may be found.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I would simply re-emphasize that Portugal will continue to participate actively with the allied countries in all the actions carried of the international community in this field that may lead to effective reinforcement of international security. In our opinion this will occur only in an atmosphere of greater mutual trust, achieved through a continued, sound East-West dialogue, without jeopardizing the delicate balance of power, which in today's world, remains the most solid safeguard of security and stability in international relations. It is in this spirit that we carefully observe the positive developments in the current negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Moreover, I cannot fail to make a special reference to the agreement on the dismantlement of medium-range missiles in Europe achieved recently in Washington.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Examples of this solidarity can be found in the endeavours of the Contadora Group and the Support Group - namely, the establishment of a mechanism for periodic political consultations between the member countries of these two groups and of closer contacts between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. These measures are the starting point of a process of gradual integration that will have major consequences in the area. I turn to disarmament. I will not dwell on this vast and complex subject, since my colleague from Denmark has already addressed the issue on behalf of all the member countries of the European Communities.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“In spite of the progress achieved in this vast area of America, we remain concerned about the overwhelming need for further efforts so that the serious economic problems that afflict many Latin American countries may be overcome. It is not always easy to make a profound diagnosis of the causes of the problems that affect these countries, but the international community should do away with solutions that have proved to be unsatisfactory and turn to more innovative ideas. I am convinced that the developed countries have an important contribution to make in this area. I firmly believe that we should seek constantly and persistently a new set of formulas for co-operation with Latin America. I also pay a tribute to the increasing solidarity that the Latin American countries have demonstrated.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I should also like to refer with great satisfaction to the views set forth at the last meeting of the five Heads of State of Central America in the city of Guatemala. The results achieved at that meeting are a promising step towards the creation of the atmosphere of mutual confidence which is so essential to the preservation of peace, respect for political freedoms and the social and economic development of the area. Nevertheless, the promise can be kept only if specific actions are taken that will embody the safeguards for the exercise of civil and political rights that are an essential part of the Guatemala document.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Also worthy of praise are the reopening of the dialogue aimed at a solution of the problem of Namibia and the recent announcement of important economic reforms, Portugal firmly supports and encourages such measures. I should also like to address here the recent unanimous election within the United Nations system of a renowned diplomat and legal expert from Cape Verde to the presidency of the Preparatory Commission for the International Sea-Bed Authority and for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, I am certain that with all his merits he will make a decisive contribution to the work of that body, whose success is of great interest to a country with such maritime traditions as Portugal.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is with deep concern that my country views the constant worsening of the living conditions of the people of Mozambique and the acts of extreme violence t at have recently been perpetrated against them by groups involved in a p spreading instability, which my country vehemently condemns. Angola, too, is living in particularly difficult times. There, too, the population is afflicted by the widespread instability and conflict that prevail in most countries of southern Africa. We pay a tribute to the pragmatism that the political leaders in Angola have demonstrated in their search for a global solution to the problems that afflict the country.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“My Government is firmly convinced that the solution to the problems that afflict South Africa lies in the creation of conditions leading to the widening of a genuine and constructive dialogue. This is the spirit of the Nkomati agreements and of the contacts we have carried out in the region. Without pretending to find solutions to problems that others will have to solve, we believe that it is our duty to contribute in the best possible way to a peaceful, concerted settlement of the conflicts that so dramatically beset such important areas of the African continent.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Portugal has repeatedly declared that the solution of the question of Namibia is of primary concern, and has consistently upheld the independence of the Territory, in keeping with Security Council resolution 435 (1978). Portugal has also repeatedly expressed its firm opposition to any act capable of further delaying the attainment by the people of Namibia of their right to self-determination. South Africa should respond constructively to the appeals voiced by the international community and abandon the position of confrontation that it has adopted, particularly against Angola. Portugal has vehemently condemned this position on the part of South Africa.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Only with the courage, decisiveness and true sense of responsibility required at this historic moment w: the governing classes in South Africa avoid a process of internal confrontation. Similarly, Portugal views with great concern the continuous postponement by the Republic of South Africa of the exercise by the Namibian people of the right self-determination. Twenty years after the adoption of resolution 2145 (XXI), which ended South Africa’s Mandate over Namibia, the question of the independence of that Territory is not yet solved, owing to South Attica's persistent demands, which delay the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978). Portugal's position in this matter is well known.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Likewise, Portugal has unequivocally denounced and condemned, both within the United Nations system and elsewhere, the immorality and injustice entailed in apartheid. The dismantlement of apartheid is an essential condition of the achievement of equitable solutions to the conflicts and problems besetting South Africa today. Thus, it is essential that the South African authorities pursue a dialogue with all the political and social groups that try to make a decisive move towards the definite elimination of apartheid and the establishment of conditions that we ensure more effective access to political participation, employment and social justice for all the communities of the country.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“This co-operation apart from bilateral action in different sectors, also encompasses very valuable multilateral programmes - for example, our participation in the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC), a body which has achieved year after year increasing political and economic solidarity, giving special priority to the problems of development- Moreover, it is with serious apprehension that Portugal views the series of developments taking place in southern Africa: the considerable deterioration of the social and economic conditions of the population, and the escalating instability and tension· Underlying this situation are two factors that have been vehemently condemned by the international community} the present internal framework of the Republic of south Africa and the deliberately provoked destabilizing outbreaks that have been afflicting countries of the area, namely, Angola and Mozambique.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Cultural roots are deep, and all recognize the special bonds created by such a heritage, for which we are willing to expand and intensify the co-operation and dialogue between Portugal and all African countries that ace Portuguese-speaking or that share our historical heritage. Accordingly, Portugal has undertaken serious efforts to promote our already reinforced common solidarity, and has widely proved that.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“It is well known by all that co-operation with Africa, in particular with Portuguese-speaking African countries, is of paramount importance to Portugal. It is for us a crucial matter of top priority at both the political and the cultural levels. The priority attributed to the African coast and to the African continent in the celebrations that Portugal is holding before the turn of the century commemorating the Descobrimentos, the adventure of our maritime expansion and the encounter of peoples and civilizations, speaks for itself. I wish to express here the hope that the United Nations may become involved in these celebrations, a clearly universal event. As many have acknowledged, Portuguese expansion was, as a famous sociologist put it, more of a maritime and exploratory expansion than a conquering one.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“That is the essential basis for the carrying out of structural changes and reforms that lead to the necessary conditions for the optimal use of existing resources. Hence it is appropriate to recall the conclusions of the UNCTAD meeting. In one single document it was possible to express a concerted assessment of the economic international situation and to list a series of specific political actions to be implemented within the next few years by the developed and developing countries. The climate of dialogue achieved during the conference allowed for a sound analysis of multilateral economic co-operation. This is an essential factor in the North-South dialogue, which is such a pivotal item in international relations.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“I should like to mention here the work carried out by many of the countries that participate in the General Assembly within the "Uruguay Round" of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). This round of negotiations, broader than any previous one, should attain results leading to a sound change in economic international relations. Portugal is determined actively to contribute to the success of this round of negotiations, and here and now we renew our quest: enable support for the Declaration of Punta del Este. Nevertheless, the success of such negotiations should stem from the concerted action of all the participating countries. Each country’s capacities and a fair distribution of responsibilities should be taken into consideration so as to attain complete transparency regarding artificial protectionism, in international trade.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“After all, there has been a constant effort to achieve international openness and co-operation) evidence of that is provided by the recent revision of the co-operation agreements with the Lomé countries and the southern Mediterranean countries· Along the lines of a policy of co-operation and assistance to development I should like to stress that my country has this year completed its full-fledged adherence to the Third Lomé Convention. This is a framework between the European Economic Community (EEC) and 66 countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, which will allow us considerably to extend our actions to underdeveloped countries and hence reaffirm the bilateral co-operation policy that we have endeavoured to accomplish.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“Overcoming the external challenge will entail the possibility of reinforcing and giving broader meaning to the constructive position that the Community has been taking on the international scene. The internal challenge entails the need to secure a balanced development process within territorial boundaries, which may allow for the reduction of the existing gap between countries and regions and the reinforcement of internal cohesion· It is essential to find the appropriate solution to both challenges so this the community and its members may, as we all wish fully assume their responsibilities in the political and economic spheres at an international level.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)
“On 1 July this year the European Communities took a significant step forward in the process of a new European development; the enforcement of the European Single Act. Portugal considers this initiative, together with the related reforms now under way, to which we have actively contributed, a demonstration of great vitality, it stands for both adaptation to an internal reality to which new elements have added richness as well as diversity and adjustment to the development of the political, economic and technological conditions of the latter years of our century, which are undergoing rapid and profound mutations. We consider that Act a valid attempt to meet coherent challenges that the community will have to face simultaneously; on the one hand an external challenge; on the other, an internal one.”
1987-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 42 (1987)