UN General Assembly
1991

The commendations of my Government are extended to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his indefatigable efforts in the service of the United Nations. My delegation is also happy to extend a warm welcome to the new Members of the United Nations: the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of the Marshall Islands, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Surely this impressive list of new Members is testimony to the profound political changes now taking place throughout the world. The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have recently gained their independence. The Koreas have finally overcome decades of exclusion from membership of the United Nations, a condition that has for some time been politically untenable and wholly unrelated to their independent status. The Baltic States have, so to speak, regained their independence. Freedom, justice and democracy have again won a splendid victory. It is now almost eight years since Grenada was liberated from an ideology which was alien to our political culture.