UN General Assembly
1957

100. As regards so colossal a matter, which mainly concerns two formidable Powers, a small nation such as my own has but little influence upon the course of action. Yet we are mindful that no nation, great or small, powerful or weak, can pride itself on being free from the deadly danger of atomic holocaust. Long ago it was said that peace was indivisible; in our atomic age destruction has become equally indivisible. We are therefore hopeful that the increasing pressure of popular opinion among all the peoples represented in the Assembly will be heard in this year's discussions. My Government nourishes the ardent hope that the coming years may make it possible to devote a much smaller part of the budget of Member States to national defence. Apart from the danger with which the armaments race is fraught, this heavy burden of expenditure on arms is a wearisome charge upon each Member's programme of social, economic and educational development. Moreover, my Government is fully aware of the possibilities that would result from the decrease of defence expenditure on the part of the capital-exporting countries in opening up new programmes of cooperation in economic development and assistance.