UN General Assembly
1982

was still time to prevent bloodshed. Still, a minimum of lucidity suggests that once again, this year, the reason of force has made more headway than has the force of reason. 206. During the past year, Spain has pursued its course towards full membership in the political, economic and defence institutions of the world to which it belongs. It has done so faithful to its European and Western vocation and aware that the defence of its national interests and of international peace and progress required the full normalization of its presence in its natural forums and aware also that through that normalization it was serving the objectives of equality and absolute and uncompromising defence of its own sovereignty. These are objectives which are best served by participation rather than by maintaining anomalous positions of dissociation and indirect links with those forums. This was required by our history, our culture and our own geographical situation and made possible by the full restoration of the political values of freedom and pluralistic democracy. 207. We are taking our place in Europe and the