UN General Assembly
1998

May I begin, Sir, by congratulating you on your election as President of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I am confident that the skills and vast experience you have acquired throughout your distinguished diplomatic career will provide the guidance we need to guarantee the successful outcome of the session. I must also recall the valuable contribution of your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, to the work of the last session of the General Assembly. This year, 1998, has been a year of warning signals and signs of hope. We have witnessed both setbacks and strides forward in the quest for peace and international security. In particular, we have witnessed great progress towards the settlement of one of the longest and most intractable conflicts — that of Northern Ireland. The Irish peace agreement has proved to the world that it is never too late to find answers to seemingly impossible problems. Unfortunately, wars, armed conflicts, acts of terrorism and other forms of violence have shaken the world during this last year and have had a negative