UN General Assembly
1988

I note with satisfaction that our discussion of urgent issues relating to disarmament today is reflecting the impact of new political thinking. The image of "the enemy" preparing for a nuclear strike or an attack using conventional weapons is gradually being replaced by the image of a normal person sincerely concerned about his or her security. Increasingly, there is a desire to understand one's partner, his way of thinking, his concerns. Without a doubt, not all remnants of the past have been removed, and not all stereotypes have been overcome, but ridding dialogue of futile rhetoric and propagandistic clichés, which has started to happen, is a major prerequisite for the strengthening of mutual understanding. Today, the most important task is the conclusion of an agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States on the reduction by 50 per cent of strategic offensive weapons. This should become a milestone in the achieving of strategic stability as we move towards the twenty-first century, and towards the complete elimination of nuclear arsenals.