UN General Assembly
1962

178. In our view, there is now nothing to prevent agreement on the elimination of the means of delivering nuclear weapons and of military bases in foreign territories during the first stage. This offers new prospects for progress in the disarmament negotiations. 179. In this connexion, we consider it important for the General Assembly at its seventeenth session to concern itself seriously with the economic programme for disarmament, as the USSR Government, has proposed [A/5233]. Much has already been said about the untold benefits that general and complete disarmament would bring to mankind. It would not only provide a stable basis for the development of friendly relations and co-operation among States, but would also bring many advantages to all countries by releasing vast economic resources for rapid development in al spheres and particularly for a substantial expansion of assistance to the economically less developed countries.