UN General Assembly
1999

spirit of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Viet Nam welcomes the encouraging prospects of a peaceful settlement of conflicts and tensions in certain regions of the world, such as the Great Lakes region of Africa, and the resumption of the peace and reconciliation process in the Middle East. We follow with interest the developments in East Timor and hope that there will be no further complications, so that the situation there can be stabilized soon, thus contributing to peace and stability in the region. Viet Nam calls for an early and complete end to the policy of embargo and blockade against Cuba and other countries. Such policies are not only outdated, but run counter to current trends towards democratization and equality in international relations, causing damage and 18 suffering to the populations of the countries concerned, especially women, the elderly and children. In South-East Asia and the Asia-Pacific region the economic recovery in many countries over the past year has restored confidence in the future. The countries of the region have learned lessons, found effective solutions and