UN General Assembly
1959

86. Disarmament is not, cannot be and never will be an end in itself. In any decisions taken, considerations of defence, international responsibilities and political relations in general must have priority. Economic, financial, moral or psychological considerations are inevitably secondary. It is undoubtedly correct to say that disarmament can be a factor in the relaxation of tensions but it is not conceivable without this relaxation itself. Nor is there anything contradictory in this, since interdependence is one of the facts of life. Disarmament is both a result of the relaxation of tensions and a factor in bringing it about; this means that there is an urgent need of a first step which can be taken only in the field of politics. For example, the Berlin problem would be brought into perspective and efforts would be made to find there, as elsewhere, conditions for peaceful coexistence; there would be no attempt to impose on some the will of others. We would try to settle all together the conflicts arising in Europe, Asia or elsewhere. Indeed, it would be the beginning of that fundamental change in East-West relations for which the world hopes. Everything would then become possible, to begin with; effective disarmament.