YouSaid · the spoken record

Kissinger

lines on the record: 157
first: 1973-09-24
most recent: 1976-09-24
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

“So the world is uneasily suspended between old slogans and new realities, between a view of peace as but a pause in an unending struggle and a vision of peace as a promise of global co-operation. 47. In 1946 James Byrnes, the first Secretary of State to address this Assembly, spoke of how the United Nations could "help to break down habits of thinking in national isolation and go far to bring about understanding and tolerance." 48. The United States will never be satisfied with a world of uneasy truces, of offsetting blocs, of accommodations of convenience. We know that power can enforce a resigned passivity, but only a sense of justice can enlist consensus. We strive for a peace whose stability rests not merely on a balance of forces, but on shared aspirations.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“North and South Korea are at last engaged in a dialogue which, we hope, will lead to a new era of peace and security between them. 45. Yet these achievements, solid as they are, have only made less precarious the dangers and divisions inherited from the post-war era. We have ended many of the confrontations of the cold war; yet, even in this room, the vocabulary of suspicion persists. Relaxation of tensions is justified by some as merely a practical interlude before renewed struggle. Others suspect the emergence of a two- Power condominium. And as tension between the two original blocs has eased, a third grouping increasingly assumes the characteristics of a bloc of its own — the alignment of the non-aligned. 46.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Two decades of estrangement between the United States and the People's Republic of China have given way to constructive dialogue and productive exchanges. President Nixon has met with the leaders of that great nation; we have agreed to a historic communique that honestly sets forth both our differences and our common principles; and we have each opened a liaison office in the capital of the other. 44. Many other countries have seized the initiative and contributed, in substance and spirit, to the relaxation of tensions. The nations of Europe and North America are engaged in a conference to further security and cooperation. The two German States have taken their place in this Assembly. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have begun to move towards a welcome reconciliation.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Many of the crises that haunted past sessions of the General Assembly have been put behind us. Agreement has been reached on Berlin; there is a cease-fire in the Middle East; the VietNam war has been ended. The rigid confrontation that has dominated international life and weakened this Organization for a quarter of a century has been softened. 42. The United States and the Soviet Union have perceived a commonality of interests in avoiding nuclear holocaust and in establishing a broad web of constructive relationships. Talks on stretegic arms limitation have already produced historic accords aimed at slowing the arms race and ensuring strategic stability; we have today resumed negotiations on this subject. The positive results we hope for will enhance the security of all mankind. 43.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“Our only choice is whether the world envisaged in the Charter will come about as the result of our vision or of a catastrophe invited by our short-sightedness. 40. The United States has made its choice. My country seeks true peace, not simply an armistice. We strive for a world in which the rule of law governs and fundamental human rights are the birthright of all. Beyond the bilateral diplomacy, the pragmatic agreements and dramatic steps of recent years, we envisage a comprehensive, institutionalized peace encompassing all nations, large and small, a peace which this Organization is uniquely situated to foster and to anchor in the hearts of men. This will be the spirit of American foreign policy. This attitude will guide our work in this Organization. 41. We start from a bedrock of solid progress.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“It would be idle to deny that the American people, like many others, have sometimes been disappointed because this Organization has not been more successful in translating its architects' hopes for universal peace into concrete accomplishments. 38. But, despite our disappointments, my country remains committed to the goal of a world community. We will continue to work in this Parliament of Man to make it a reality. 39. Two centuries ago, the philosopher Kant predicted that perpetual peace would come eventually — either as the creation of man's moral aspirations or as the consequence of physical necessity. What seemed Utopian then looms as tomorrow's reality; soon there will be no alternative.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)
“35. I should like to add my congratulations to those so well expressed by the Minister for External Relations of Brazil to our new President, Ambassador Benites of Ecuador, whose long experience at the United Nations and his many contributions to international law and to the inter-American system all ensure that this twenty-eighth session of the Assembly will have outstanding leadership. 36. I come before you today — confirmed in office but two days ago — as probably the world's most junior Foreign Minister. That President Nixon should ask me as my first official act to speak here for the United States reaffirms the importance that my country attaches to the values and the ideals of the United Nations. 37.”
1973-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 28 (1973)