UN General Assembly
1999

I would like first of all to express to you, Sir, our warm congratulations on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. We join the earlier delegations in wishing you success in the important task of guiding our debates. I would like to express to your predecessor, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Mr. Didier Opertti, our gratitude for his outstanding leadership as President of the Assembly at its fifty-third session. I also wish to convey very special greetings to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and to express our deep appreciation for the work that he has done and our firm support for his efforts to achieve peace in a year that has been of critical importance for the United Nations. Chile extends a hearty welcome to the new Member States of our Organization, Kiribati, Nauru and the 19 Kingdom of Tonga, fraternal countries of the Pacific community. Globalization and interdependence require new and stronger international institutions. As the international environment becomes increasingly complex and difficult,