UN General Assembly
1997

﻿May I begin by congratulating the President on his election to preside over the fifty-second session of General Assembly and pledging to him the full support of my delegation. The new Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has already put his mark on the United Nations, after less than nine months in office. He has led efforts to reform our Organization in an effective, fair and balanced manner. I congratulate him and pledge the unwavering support of my Government for his important mission. Increasingly, as we approach the new millennium, we have come to appreciate the value of international cooperation, as most clearly demonstrated by the historic first meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)/Russia Permanent Joint Council in a ministerial session that took place here in this building today. The information revolution is advancing, and a new sense of global neighbourhood and the gradual abolition of trade barriers are raising the level of economic well- being in different parts of the world. At the same time, 25 the world community is faced with challenges of a new