UN General Assembly
1988

The international atmosphere to which I have referred has been profoundly affected by the improvement in East-West relations. Belgium welcomes this trend, to which it has actively contributed. For their part, the European Twelve are playing a growing role in the positive evolution of East-West relations. In this connection I would mention the start that has been made on achieving closer relations between the European members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), on the one hand, and the European Community, on the other. Belgium hopes that that progress will continue, with beneficial consequences for the economic and social well-being of mankind. The signing of the Soviet-American Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles has been hailed, and rightly so, as an event of prime importance. It is a disarmament agreement in the true sense of the term, one that eliminates - and this is the first time it has been done - an entire category of nuclear weapons, accompanied by on-site verification measures that provide adequate guarantees of compliance to both parties.