UN General Assembly
1956

145. In my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I feel the weight of my responsibility, but as a Portuguese I feel at home here, for reasons which I shall explain later. I have already had occasion to point out that my country was kept out of the United Nations for ten years. I mention the fact now only to explain why I shall confine myself to statements of principle in this introductory speech in the general debate, without going into the details of the problems that have been raised and discussed here in the course of the last ten years. Later, there will be an opportunity in the Committees or in the plenary meetings to state and define the position of the Portuguese Government with regard to these problems.