UN General Assembly
1995

Mediterranean Ministerial Conference at Barcelona in November to consider future economic and political relations as a milestone in the consolidation of regional cooperation. The Mediterranean’s wealth lies in its heritage of cultural, religious and social diversity. A forced mutation of this rich mosaic into uniformity would be destabilizing. Confidence-building and mutual understanding create the route that leads to security and cooperation. We must walk that arduous path. Within multicultural diversity we must discover the common values that help foster dialogue. This requires shedding preconceived notions. It requires strong political will. It requires that we supplant instinctive mistrust with a spirit of mutual respect. The key protagonists in the Middle East crisis have demonstrated how political will and dialogue can overcome obstacles that for decades appeared insurmountable. We have supported the peace process and will continue to support it, and we welcome the official signing in Washington today of the agreements reached last Sunday in Taba, Egypt, by Chairman Arafat and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel, respectively. A