UN General Assembly
1997

nuclear weapons on our soil, we have suggested creating a nuclear-free zone in the centre of Europe. I must admit that so far the response to this initiative has been tepid, at best. But I would also reiterate that no matter the tepid response, only the creation of regions entirely free from nuclear weapons and the nuclear threat will facilitate each important step along the road to the eventual comprehensive renouncement of nuclear weapons. Apart from general support for the reform programmes of the United Nations, I should like to emphasize the particularly positive approach of Belarus to the idea and the philosophy of sustainable development. Pursuant to the decisions and recommendations adopted by the Rio 1992 Earth Summit, the Government of the Republic of Belarus worked out a national strategy for sustainable development, whose outline was presented to the General Assembly’s special session last June. We appreciate the great assistance rendered to us by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Secretariat and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, which helped us to hold our