 I should like first of all, Sir, to congratulate you most warmly on your brilliant election to the presidency of this Assembly. I am firmly convinced that your diplomatic experience will en ablp you to discharge honorably the heavy responsibility that has been entrusted to you. I should like through you, Sir, to extend my warm congratulations to the Vice-Presidents and the other members of the General Committee.
71.	To our eminent Secrestary-General, I should like to reaffirm my Government's high appreciation of his devotion and his tireless efforts in the cause of international peace and cooperation.
72.	We should also like warmly to congratulate Belize and the Republic of Vanuatu on their admission to the United Nations as the one hundred fifty-fifth and one hundred fifty-sixth Members and to extend a cordial welcome to their worthy representatives.
73.	The thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly has opened at a time when the international situation promises to be difficult and complicated. Indeed, while the forces of peace, national independence, democracy, justice and socialism are growing stronger everywhere in the world, the imperialists and those in certain Western military circles are adopting a belligerent policy and striving to recover the positions they have lost by reviving the cold war and signaling the start of an arms race. All this constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security, and these reckless actions have adversely affected international relations.
74.	Thus, over the past 12 months detente has gradually given way to a policy of confrontation, the arms race has been carried on at an accelerated rate and the world economic crisis has worsened.
75.	Negotiations on arms limitation and disarmament in various bodies of the United Nations and elsewhere have yielded scanty results in the course of 1981. The bilateral negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States on the limitation of strategic arms were unilaterally broken off by the American side, to the great detriment of the cause of disarmament. Furthermore, the United States has not only refused thus far to ratify but has even called into question the SALT II treaty. The recent decision of the United States Government to manufacture the neutron bomb constitutes a further escalation of the arms race.
76.	In order to avert this peril threatening all mankind and contemporary civilization, the peoples of the whole world must join forces against this new escalation and vigorously condemn the dangerous doctrine of "limited nuclear war" advocated in certain imperialist circles and frenetically supported by international reactionaries.
77.	This acceleration of the arms race, motivated by the new United States Administration's policy of confrontation with the socialist countries, in particular the Soviet
Union, with national liberation movements and with progressive and peace-loving countries throughout the world has not only made it more difficult to arrive at any solution to the major world problems that have been facing us for years, but has also exacerbated a number of regional conflicts.
78.	In Latin America and the Caribbean the United States, in spite of international condemnation, continues to provide every kind of assistance to the dictatorial Governments that are its lackeys, such as those of El Salvador, Chile and others, for the purpose of suppressing' the most elementary democratic rights and freedoms and savagely slaughtering their peoples, whose struggle, now in a decisive stage, will lead to certain victory.
79.	Against Cuba, Nicaragua, Grenada and other Latin American countries which have opted for a policy of free and independent development free from all imperialist domination, the United States has pursued a policy of interference, pressure and threats of aggression.
80.	In Europe, we have seen with great concern a revival of tension resulting from attempts by the United States and certain circles in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] to install new medium-range nuclear missiles in order to revive the cold war. At the same time, they are supporting counterrevolutionary forces in Poland in order to sow disorder there and to deflect that country from the path of socialism.
81.	On the African continent, particularly in its southern part, the continued occupation of Namibia by South Africa, and the Pretoria Government's policy of apartheid, which are supported by imperialism, have led to a considerable increase in tension, thus posing a serious threat to peace and security, not only in Africa, but in the world at large.
82.	The recent eighth emergency special session of the General Assembly, devoted to the question of Namibia, clearly demonstrates the great concern of the peoples of the world over the deteriorating situation in Namibia after the obstinate refusal of South Africa to withdraw from that Territory and the intensification of its acts of aggression against Angola, Mozambique and other neighboring countries.
83.	In the Middle East, 1981 has seen the proliferation of acts of aggression by Israel, with the unreserved support of the United States, against Arab countries, particularly Lebanon, with a view to eliminating Palestinian resistance and threatening the security of Syria. The unprovoked attacks by Israel against Iraq's nuclear reactor and by the United States against Libyan aircraft are all irrefutable evidence of their belligerent actions and their flouting of the principles of international law and morality.
84.	In the region of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, the bloody conflict between Iraq and Iran, two neighboring nonaligned countries, has caused considerable suffering and losses to both parties and has given the United States further excuses to exercise its military supremacy in that very sensitive part of the world by strengthening its air and naval base at Diego Garcia, by establishing new bases, known as "military facilities", and by creating "rapid deployment forces" which are ready to intervene at any time to defend the so-called vital interests of the United States.
85.	In view of this imminent danger, the transformation of the Indian Ocean into a zone of peace in accordance with the profound aspirations of the coastal peoples is urgent. It is regrettable that the convening of the Conference on the Indian Ocean, proposed for this year, did not take place because of the unconstructive attitude of the major Western Powers. In the interests of peace and stability in the area, my delegation believes it would be desirable for that Conference, which was unwisely postponed, to be held in 1982.
86.	In Afghanistan, the imperialists and international reactionaries are continuing their undeclared war against the Afghan revolution, thus creating extreme tension in that part of the world.
87.	In SouthEast Asia, the hegemonistic and expansionist policies of the Peking leadership have brought about a constant state of tension and threaten the security and independence of Laos, Viet Nam and Kampuchea as well as the peace and stability of the whole region. Indeed, in order to achieve their dark designs, the Peking hegemonists, in close collusion with the American imperialists, have tried, first of all, to pit the countries of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations [AS£/W] 'against the three countries of IndoChina, which would facilitate their maneuvers of interference, undermining and aggression there. They are also attempting to sow division among the countries of IndoChina, which constitute a serious obstacle to their advance towards the south.
88.	The recent visit of the Chinese Prime Minister to certain ASEAN countries was for the sole purpose of camouflaging Peking's support for pseudo-revolutionary groups in those countries and inciting them to adopt a more intransigent attitude towards the three Indochinese countries. This has further worsened the tension between the two groups of countries. The result, not reckoned on by Peking, is that the two-faced policy of the Peking hegemonists has been exposed, and certain ASEAN countries are now fully aware of it.
89.	With regard to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Peking hegemonists, encouraged and supported by the United States, have greatly reinforced their troops and intensified their armed provocations along the ChineseVietnamese frontier, with a view to threatening Viet Nam in all areas. This bears a strong resemblance to past American intervention against Viet Nam and against Laos and Kampuchea. The recent so-called International Conference on Kampuchea, in which China, the United States, the ASEAN countries and their allies together played a role, is also striking evidence of this.
90.	The Lao People's Democratic Republic, together with the People's Republic of Kampuchea, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and all the socialist countries and other justice-loving countries, rejected and condemned that Conference as a crude attack on the independence and sovereignty of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, and we wish to state once again that we consider all the decisions emerging from that Conference to he null and void.
91.	At their meetings at Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh in January and June respectively of this year, the Foreign Ministers of the three Indochinese countries reaffirmed their proposals for the holding of a regional conference to settle all problems of common interest [see At36/86, annex I, and A/36/328, annex /].
92.	But it is regrettable that those coherent and realistic proposals, which are moreover totally in accordance with the spirit and letter of the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes, were not accepted by the ASEAN countries. And what is more, certain ASEAN countries, at the instigation of Peking and Washington, have even made it possible for meetings to be held at Singapore and later at Bangkok among reactionary Khmers in exile, with a view to forming a "united front" and a so-called coalition government. Such acts constitute flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Kampuchea. Ultimately, those meetings have served only to make public the inevitable dissension among those factions. So whatever subterfuges may be used by Peking and Washington against the Kampuchean people, they cannot possibly alter the politically and legally stable situation in Kampuchea.
93.	In his recent statement at New Delhi, the Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of Kampuchea noted that "the Government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea, in agreement with the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, will consider the partial withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Kampuchea if Thailand ceases its support of and aid to the remnants of the Pol Pot supporters and other little groups of reactionaries in their attempts to undermine the People's Republic of Kampuchea, and if it ceases to provide sanctuary on its territory for those elements." This is a new and very positive step towards a concrete solution of the problem of Kampuchea and towards the establishment of peace, stability and mutual understanding among the countries of the region.
94.	The three countries of IndoChina will nevertheless continue their efforts to bring about consultations with the ASEAN countries, in accordance with their proposals, with a view to settling differences between the two groups of countries.
95.	In this context, my delegation, after consultation and agreement with the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the People's Republic of Kampuchea, has the honor of presenting here a certain number of principles to govern relations between the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN.
96.	First, there must be respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each, and nonaggression, equality, mutual advantage and peaceful coexistence between the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN for the sake of peace, stability, friendship and cooperation in SouthEast Asia.
97.	There must be respect for the rights of the people of each country to choose and develop freely their political, social, economic, and cultural system and to determine freely their internal and external political courses in accordance with the principles and objectives of nonalignment and of the Charter of the United Nations, and no imposing of the will of one party on another.
98.	The internal and external affairs of each country belonging to the groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN must be determined by their own people, without any country having the right to intervene individually or collectively, directly or indirectly.
99.	Secondly, outstanding controversies and differences between the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, and also between other countries of the region, must be settled by peaceful means, through negotiation, and in the spirit Shat all problems of SouthEast Asia should be settled by the countries of the region in accordance with the principles of equality, friendship, mutual respect and understanding, bearing in mind the legitimate interests of all parties, by common accord, without the imposition of the will i>f one party on another, without external interference and without recourse to the threat or use of force in their relations.
100.	The must be respect for the right of all countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, and also the other countries of SouthEast Asia, to take individual or collective self defense measures in accordance with the principles of nonalignment and the Charter of the United Nations, and no country shall be allowed to use collective defense treaties to serve its own particular interests and to oppose other countries of the region.
101.	Thirdly, there must be continuation and development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in economic, technical, scientific, cultural, sport and tourist matters between the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, and also with other countries of SouthEast Asia, on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual advantage, with a view to strengthening understanding and mutual confidence and relations of friendship and good neighborliness in the interests of building up each country in accordance with its special circumstances.
102.	The countries concerned in the region will cooperate to exploit the Mekong with a view to developing their respective economies and also the common prosperity of the region.
103.	Fourthly, there must be respect for the sovereignty of countries with coastlines on the South China Sea over their territorial waters and their sovereign rights over their exclusive economic zones and their continental shelf.
104.	The landlocked country of the region must be given  favorable conditions for transit to and from the sea, and that country must be given maritime rights and advantages in accordance with international law and practice.
105.	There must be settlement of disputes between the countries with coastlines on the; South China Sea over maritime zones and islands by means of negotiation. Pending the solution, the interested parties must undertake to do nothing to aggravate existing differences. The countries of the area will join forces to seek together means of cooperation among themselves and also with other countries, whether or not they belong to the region, in exploiting the resources of the sea and ocean floor on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual advantage, the preservation of the marine environment against pollution, the guaranteeing of international communications and of freedom of shipping and overflight in the area.
106.	Fifthly, countries outside the area must respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region and put an end to all forms of pressure and threats from outside and creating a situation of tension and hostility among the countries of the area.
107.	The countries of the area will allow no country to use their territory as a base for aggression or direct or indirect interference in the affairs of other countries.
108.	These countries declare their readiness to cooperate with other countries outside the region and with international organizations and to accept their assistance when no political conditions are attached.
109.	Bilateral or multilateral cooperation among the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, and also other countries of the region with those outside the region, must in no case prejudice the security and interests of other countries of the area, nor should it be directed against any other country.
110.	Sixthly, in order to make fruitful the application of the above mentioned principles, a permanent body would be set up which would be entrusted with the task of organizing dialog and consultation among two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, possibly with the participation of Burma. The composition of this body, to be determined by common agreement, would comprise one or more countries representing each group on the one-to-one principle. This organ would meet annually in order to resolve the various problems raised concerning relations among the members of the two groups and could hold a special session in the case of any urgent or crisis situation.
111.	Seventhly, the above mentioned principles would constitute the basis of the dialog and consultations to be held, which would be directed towards concluding an agreement or some other form of understanding between the two groups of countries of IndoChina and ASEAN, which would be ready to invite other countries of the area to participate therein.
112.	With regard to the situation in my country, since the foundation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on 2 December 1975, a multinational Lao people has devoted all its efforts and energies to healing the wounds of war while building a new life. In spite of the numerous problems bequeathed by the long and devastating war, together with the disastrous consequences of floods and drought, and in spite of the subversive and undermining activities of our enemies, we have, thanks to our own efforts and the assistance of fraternal and friendly countries, as well as the assistance of international organizations, produced significant results in many fields. In particular, we have firmly safeguarded our country and laid down certain bases for the economic, social and cultural development of our people.
113* This year we began to put into effect our first five year development plan. It is our conviction that, thanks to the determination and sustained efforts of our people and to assistance, from friendly and fraternal countries and from international organizations, we will be able to fulfill this plan, However, the Peking hegemomsts, in collusion with the imperialists and other reactionaries, are pursuing their sinister activities aimed at destabilizing our country by massing their troops along the LaotianChinese frontier, where they have been engaged feverishly in training exercises and preparations for battle, firing shells and infiltrating our territory.
114.	Furthermore, while stepping up their campaign of propaganda and calumny against our country, they have been encouraging, training and arming reactionary Lao exiles and sending them back into Laos, directly or through a neighboring country, to fight against the Lao people. They have been seeking by every possible means to pit us against our neighbors.
115.	In the face of such a policy of provocation, intimidation and intervention, Laos and the two other countries of IndoChina, which in the past as in the present have always fought shoulder to shoulder against common enemies, will continue to strengthen their cooperation and special ties of solidarity in defense of their independence and the building up of their respective countries in this new era.
116.	These ties of special solidarity among the three countries of IndoChina pose a threat to no one. At their conference in Phnom Penh on 13 and 14 June last the Foreign Ministers of Laos, Viet Nam and Kampuchea stated that the cessation by China of its attacks and armed acts of provocation against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic and its support for the Pol Pot clique and the reactionary Khmer forces would facilitate the settlement of their dispute with China on the basis of the principles of strict respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, nonaggression, noninterference in internal affairs, equality and mutual advantage.
117.	With the Kingdom of Thailand, the Lao People's Democratic Republic has always scrupulously applied the provisions of the joint LaoThai communique of 1979 making the frontier between the two countries a frontier of peace, friendship and cooperation with a view to promoting relations of good-neighborliness between the two peoples. However, that communique has still to be given full effect on a permanent basis by the other party, without foreign interference. For this to happen, the Thai authorities must demonstrate a greater measure of realism and common sense if they want to see an improvement in relations between the two countries.
118.	As you will have realized, the international situation is a matter of constant concern because of the policy of confrontation chosen by the United States, the keystone of which is the "antiSoviet strategy". However, the socialist countries; the nonaligned countries and other peace-loving countries have consistently made constructive proposals to strengthen detente, to consolidate peace, to curb the arms race and to bring about confidence building measures in Europe as well as in the other continents.
119.	Faithful to its policy of peace, independence, friendship and nonalignment, the Lao People's Democratic Republic commends the constructive .attitude of the socialist countries in all negotiating forums on disarmament and supports the proposals put forth by the twenty sixth Congress of the Communist Party: of the Soviet Union on measures to promote the cause of disarmament. In this regard, the Lao People's Democratic Republic welcomes the initiative taken by the Soviet delegation in requesting the inclusion in the agenda of this session of the General Assembly of an item entitled, "Conclusion of a treaty on the prohibition of the stationing of weapons of any kind in outer space" [item 128], an initiative aimed at excluding the arms race from the realm of outer space.
120.	The Lao People's Democratic Republic is in  favor of the resumption of negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States on the limitation of strategic arms and energetically condemns the decision of the United States Administration to manufacture the neutron bomb, a decision which serves only to increase the risk of a nuclear conflagration.
121.	Similarly, we  favor a further intensification by the United Nations of its efforts to avert at all costs the danger of a nuclear war which, in view of the present high level of accumulation and sophistication of nuclear weapons and, above all, the growing tendency towards the proliferation of such weapons, constitutes more than ever before a real threat of universal extinction. In this context, we consider most timely the initiative of the Soviet Government in submitting for consideration at this session of the Assembly a draft declaration on the prevention of nuclear catastrophe [see A!36/241]. The adoption of a declaration on this subject would undeniably contribute to the restoration of a climate of confidence in international relations and would exert a beneficial influence on the negotiations on the limitation and ultimate elimination of strategic and nuclear weapons.
122.	We condemn the interference of certain Western countries in the internal affairs of Poland, and we hope that the Polish United Workers' Party and the Polish State will be able to overcome all the difficulties Poland is now facing. We appreciate the measures taken by the Soviet Union and other socialist countries to help the Polish people safeguard the achievements of the revolution.
123.	Inter-communal negotiations to arrive at an equitable and lasting solution to the problem of Cyprus seem to have been making time for the last few months. In the interest of the whole Cypriot people, foreign interference in the internal affairs of Cyprus must cease so that those negotiations can progress.
124.	The Lao People's Democratic Republic energetically condemns the policy of interference, pressure and threats of aggression by imperialism against Cuba, Nicaragua, Grenada and other Latin American countries and supports the struggle of the peoples of El Salvador and Chile to recover their democratic rights and freedoms. At the same time, we support the just struggle of the Puerto Rican people for its right to self-determination and independence and vigorously condemn the use by the United States of biological weapons against Cuba. Those weapons have caused casualties among the civilian population and done considerable damage to agriculture and stock breeding.
125.	We energetically condemn all equivocation and obstructionism designed to prevent the implementation of the decisions of the eighth emergency special session of the General Assembly. We should like to reaffirm our unshakable support for and solidarity with the Namibian people in their victorious struggle, under the leadership of SWAPO, for their national independence.
126. We also wish to reaffirm our militant solidarity with the front-line States, particularly the People's Republic of Angola, against the acts of aggression and intimidation by the racist regime of South Africa.
127/ We continue our support for and militant solidarity with the valiant Sahraoui people, courageously waging its just struggle for self-determination and independence under the leadership of the POLISARIO Front.2
128.	We vigorously condemn the acts of aggression by Israel against Lebanon and against the Palestinian civilian population, as well as its attack on the nuclear reactor of Iraq. We support the just struggle of the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the PLO, to recover its inalienable national rights, including the right to establish an independent Palestinian State in Palestine.
129.	We vigorously condemn the subversive designs and machinations of the international imperialists and reactionaries in Afghanistan and we reaffirm our militant solidarity with the Afghan people who, with the disinterested aid of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, is waging a valiant struggle to defend its independence and sovereignty as well as the achievements of the revolution of April 1978. In this spirit, we support the proposal of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to begin bilateral negotiations with Pakistan and Iran or, if those two countries so wish, trilateral negotiations, in both cases with the possible participation of the Secrestary-General or his representative.
130.	We support the struggle of the Korean people for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the southern part of Korea and for the independent and peaceful unification, of Korea, without foreign interference.
131.	In the context of peace and stability in Asia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic firmly supports the proposal of the Mongolian People's Republic [see A/36/388] with regard to an international convention on nonaggression and the non-use of force in relations among the countries of Asia and the Pacific region.
132.	After having suffered so long the crimes and terror of genocide, the valiant people of Kampuchea are still forced to endure the flagrant injustice of having their representatives debarred from the Organization, while the seat reserved for its representatives continues to be occupied by the very people who were their executioners.
133.	Ever since its foundation the People's Republic of Kampuchea has shown itself to be a State that is responsible and capable of meeting its international and national obligations. Over the past few years the Kampuchean people have brought about a remarkable revival. After the general elections which took place throughout the country last May, the Kampuchean people established legislative, executive and judicial authorities and other State institutions according to the course that it had chosen. Those are the very conditions required of a State Member of the United Nations. The Lao People's Democratic Republic therefore feels that it is high time the international community redressed this injustice by restoring without delay to the People's Republic of Kampuchea the seat that properly belongs to it in the United Nations and driving out the representatives of the criminal gang of Pol Pot and Ieng Sary, whom the Kampuchean people has already judged and condemned in absentia. No argument, even the pseudo-juridical argument of foreign intervention invoked by several Members of the Organization on a selective basis, can possibly justify this continued denial of the inalienable right of the People's Republic of Kampuchea to contribute to the work of the Organization.
134.	The Laotian people reaffirms its unswerving solidarity with the Vietnamese people in its brave struggle on all fronts to defend its homeland against the threats of aggression by the hegemonists in Peking. The Lao People's Democratic Republic fully supports the proposals of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam with regard to measures to bring about an end to hostilities, the separation of the troops of the two countries and the creation of a demilitarized zone in order to restore peace and stability to the SinoVietnamese border, as well as its proposals to resume as soon as possible the third series of Sino-Vietnamese talks at the deputy foreign minister level to discuss matters of common concern, with a view to restoring normal relations between the two countries.
135.	To sum up, we give our unreserved support to the struggle of all peoples against aggression, imperialist occupation, colonialism in its old and new forms, hegemon ism, racism and racial discrimination, apartheid and Zionism, because all these factors constitute the primary threat to international peace and security.
136.	Together with the augmentation of political tension, 1981 has also been marked by the aggravation of the world economic situation. Indeed, the economic crisis which has held the world in its grip for several years has continued to worsen, because of the lack of appropriate measures which should have been taken by the developed capitalist countries to redress the situation. In this regard, the proposal of the developing countries that global negotiations on development and international cooperation be embarked upon with a view to bringing about the new international economic order has encountered unjustifiable obstacles erected by certain developed countries which took part in the NorthSouth dialog in Paris. In the interest of mutually beneficial international cooperation it is necessary for the negotiations to begin as soon as possible and to lead to the desired results. Otherwise, it is to be feared that the economic difficulties will become worse, giving rise to international crisis with the gravest possible consequences.
137.	I have just set out the views of my Government on the major problems of concern to international opinion over the past 12 months.
138.	Before concluding I should like to repeat the commitment and readiness of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to contribute by every means in its power to strengthening the effectiveness of the United Nations. However, it is hardly necessary to stress that the Organization's authority and effectiveness depend essentially on its decisions and its ability to settle all the issues submitted for its consideration.
139.	For the United Nations to remain a true instrument of international peace and cooperation, it is absolutely necessary for all its Members constantly to bear in mind its noble mission and to refrain from transforming it into an instrument for interference in affairs that fall within the sovereignty of Member States. Realistic, just and enforceable decisions are the only ones that will promote the strengthening of the prestige of the United Nations. My delegation will spare no effort to make its own contribution to that end.
140.	I hope that the work of the General Assembly during its thirty-sixth session will have great success.


Mr. President, the delegation of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic most warmly congratulates you on your election to the Important post of President of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly and wishes you every success in your important task.
37.	We note with satisfaction that the family of the international community of nations has been joined by two new Members, the Republic of Vanuatu and Belize. That represents one more step in the task of ensuring the complete universality of the Organization.
38.	The most chronic important, problem facing mankind and the United Nations today is the preservation of peace on our planet, to ensure the right of people to life and peaceful activity and to protect them from military catastrophe that is the crucial task which, in the current circumstances of exacerbation of the international situation, must be solved jointly by all peoples,
39.	We realize that it is by no means easy to solve that problem. Imperialist and hegemonistic forces are deliberately whipping up political tension and arc continuing an unbridled arms race, ensuring supremacy for themselves, destabilizing the world situation and suppressing by force the desire of peoples for national and social liberation. They are attempting to dictate their will to other States and to lord it over their natural resources and use their
40.	All that, more than ever before, is leading to an intensification of the danger of war and an increase of the threat of nuclear conflict. The Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist community are combating adventurism in international affairs as well as the desire of belligerent imperialist circles to put at risk the vital interests of mankind for the sake of achieving narrow and selfish aims with a policy of peace and closer co-operation and mutual understanding among, peoples and States,
41.	Consistent adherence to the peace-loving course was emphatically reaffirmed at the XXVIth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, where a whole set of initiatives was put forward to limit and reduce nuclear and conventional armaments, eliminate sources of conflict and bring about the peaceful settlement of controversial International problems.
42.	The multi-faceted and large-scale nature of those new proposals has amply demonstrated the responsible approach of the USSR to the solution of fundamental problems of our times. The highest legislative organ of the Soviet State, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, has solemnly declared in its recent appeal to parliaments and peoples of the world that the Soviet Union threatens no one, nor does it seek confrontation with any State in the West or in the East. The safeguarding of peace, the statement stresses, has been, is and will continue to be the highest goal of Soviet foreign policy.
43.	The forces of aggression and reaction are exerting tireless efforts and are doing everything they can to bury the Idea of detente, undermine the principles of peaceful coexistence and halt and reverse the process of socio-political renewal in the world. However, today it would not be out of place to recall that even in the most complicated periods, the Soviet Union and the other socialist countries displayed optimism and adopted a realistic approach to the solution of pressing international problems. The subsequent development of the international situation confirmed the correctness of that approach. In his statement at Kiev on 9 May last, on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people over Hitlerite fascism, Leonid Ilylch Brezhnev stressed:
"The experience of the post-war years has shown that war can be prevented. All kinds of dangers have emerged in the last three and a half decades. There has been the cold war. There have been dangerous, even critical, moments, But the imperialists have not succeeded in pushing mankind into the abyss."
44.	Now, when the danger of a thermonuclear conflagration capable of destroying civilization on earth is particularly grave, it is the highest duty of the United Nations and of all States and peoples to defuse tensions and remove the threat of nuclear war hanging over the peoples.
45.	The United Nations, whose principal objective under the Charter is to save present and succeeding generations from the scourge of war, should strongly and urgently come out in favor of preventing the nuclear threat. An important and specific step in this direction, in accordance with the vital interests of all countries and peoples, would be the adoption of a solemn declaration on the prevention of a nuclear catastrophe, the draft of which has been submitted by the Soviet Union for the consideration of the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session.
46.	We believe that the General Assembly should solemnly call on the leaders of nuclear Powers to act in such a way as to eliminate the risk of the outbreak of a nuclear conflict and by their joint efforts, through negotiations conducted in good faith , and on the basis of equality, to stop and reverse the nuclear arms race, and to use nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful and constructive purposes.
47.	The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR is deeply convinced that the adoption by the General Assembly, in the name of all States Members of the United Nations, of a declaration authoritatively and resolutely proclaiming the first use of nuclear weapons to be the gravest crime against humanity, and condemning as contrary to human moral standards and the noble ideals of the United Nations any doctrine allowing for the fast use of such weapons, would exert a restraining influence on the dangerous development of world events and would contribute to the elimination of a nuclear threat and to progress in limiting and reducing nuclear armaments.
48.	This Soviet Initiative is especially timely now that the NATO countries and above all the United States are pushing the world towards a new spiral In the arms race. Leading circles In Washington have proclaimed as their top priority Objective for the next years the attainment of military Superiority over the Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist community, to this end, astronomical sums are being appropriated for military purposes and qualitatively new types and systems of weapons with huge destructive potential are being developed. Today at 2.00 p.m., the President of the United States announced the decision to re-equip and modernize the strategic nuclear forces of the United States, to deploy the MX rocket system and to build by 1986 100 strategic 'B.-1 bombers. This is a truly ominous decision, taken in the interests of the military-industrial complex of the United States. It is planned to deploy on the European continent some 600 additional United States medium-range nuclear missiles. Plans are being overtly developed for a so-called limited nuclear war, and other militaristic doctrines are being proclaimed. A little earlier, with a cynical distend for the will and interests of the peoples, it was declared that neutron weapons me being added to the already huge United States nuclear arsenal.
49.	The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR would like to stress in this connection that the work of the United Nations should serve the purpose of mobilizing peace-loving forces , to preclude another dangerous spiral of the aims race.
50.	The neutron weapon is a particularly fiendish and cruel means of mass annihilation. This weapon lowers the threshold of nuclear war and consequently increases the danger of its outbreak. Its production and deployment by one group of States would inevitably lead to appropriate counter-measures being adopted by another group of countries and would open up a new path for the nuclear arms race.
51.	The attempts of those who try to prove to us that the neutron weapon is defensive in nature are futile. It is an offensive weapon and reference to its combat capabilities to justify the "acceptability" of limited nuclear war is nothing but an attempt to accustom people to the idea of the admissibility of a "limited" nuclear war. The implementation of plans for the neutron weapon may have irreversible consequences for mankind, including medical and biological ones. If we take into account the fact that the neutron weapon is designed for deployment primarily in Western Europe it is not difficult to realize that it would be the people of the European continent, whose destinies are being totally disregarded in United States military and strategic plans, who would be the first to suffer.
52.	In accelerating the arms race, especially the nuclear arms race, its sponsors and instigators are undermining many of the treaties and agreements concluded earlier on arms control and disarmament. What happened to the SALT O treaty on the limitation of Strategic Arms is, of course, common knowledge.- The United States is responsible for torpedoing negotiations on the complete and general prohibition of nuclear weapons tests, the prohibition of chemical weapons, the limitation of sales and transfer of conventional arms, on questions concerning the Indian Ocean and other matters.
53.	To justify this aggressive policy, war hysteria is being fanned and that old hackneyed trick of the enemies of socialism a slanderous campaign, about the "Soviet military threat- is resorted to. This campaign becomes particularly vicious each time another Pentagon budget comes up for approval.
54.	It has been repeatedly stated from this rostrum that the USSR and the countries of the socialist community are countering the course pursued by the imperialist circles of the United Suites and other Western countries a course which aggravates the international situation with their readiness to conduct negotiations on all pressing international problems and to approach with understanding all constructive proposals put forward by other countries aimed at achieving specific results in curbing the arms race, and bringing about a transition to genuine disarmament. The USSR and the other socialist countries strongly favor on Immediate constructive dialog, and the reduction of levels of military confrontation both In specific areas of the world and in the world as a whole. There is not a single type of weapon which they would not be ready, to limit or ban on a mutual basis, by agreement with other States.
55.	On more than one occasion the Soviet Union has proposed solutions to various problems concerning the limitation of the arms race, primarily the nuclear arms race, and disarmament. What is required for their implementation is that appropriate negotiations should start as soon as possible. Another year has passed, and specific negotiations proposed by the countries of the socialist community on the cessation of production of all types of nuclear weapons and the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of stockpiles of these weapons have not become a reality. The reason for this is well known. It is to be found In the obstructionist course pursued by the United States and China, who are boycotting these extremely important negotiations.
56.	The Administration in Washington cannot be allowed to bury thee process of strategic arms control, which today exerts a great political influence on the whole complex of Inter-State relations. We arc convinced that the United Nations should strive further for the resumption and intensification of talks, which ate currently being blocked by the United States and its allies, on the general and complete prohibition of nuclear weapons tests and on the non-stationing of nuclear weapon on the territories of those States .where there ate no such weapons at present.
57.	Further momentum should be given to the talks on., banning other weapons of mass destruction, Including chemical weapons. Plans by United States militarists to start the production and deployment of new generations of chemical weapons pose a serious threat to progress In these talks, in particular in the Committee on Disarmament. In whipping up the chemical weapons race they are
"once again resorting to the threadbare tack of slanderous fabrications against the socialist countries. We express the hope that in this Important issue, too, a sober attitude will prevail and that instead of a new spiral in she chemical weapons race we shall sec a resumption of the Soviet-American talks on the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and the destruction of such stockpiles. Such talks could contribute to the preparation of an appropriate international convention.
58.	The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR opposes extending the arms of any kind in outer space and supports the draft treaty on the prohibition of the stationing of weapons of any kind in outer space submitted by the Soviet Union [A/S6H92]. It is aimed at creating conditions that would rule out the possibility of the use of outer space us a kind of bridgehead for war preparations that arc quite definitely aimed at the Earth.
59.	We feel that a new impetus to fruitful negotiations on these and other pressing problems of limiting the arms race and disarmament can and should be provided by the
second special session of the General Assembly devoted, to disarmament, which Is scheduled to be convened in a little more than six months. To this end, it is important that its preparation and work should from the very start be oriented towards the adoption of specific measures to curtail the arms race.
60.	There is general recognition of the idea that the achievement of genuine results in arms control and disarmament and in the overall strengthening of the peace and security of peoples would be considerably facilitated by an atmosphere of confidence In relations between States, The Ukrainian SSR believes the strengthening of security on the European continent to be of extreme Importance. Confidence-building measures in the military field adopted through the joint efforts of the participants in the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe have generally proved to be quite useful. In the interests of strengthening European security, the XXVIth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union proposed that agreement be reached both on a further expansion of confidence-building measures in the military field and on the zone of application of such measures, and in particular that they should be extended to cover the entire European part of the Soviet Union, provided that Western States take a corresponding step to accommodate the Soviet Union. As yet, however, no such step has been taken.
61.	Of particular importance in the present-day world are efforts to settle international conflicts, and to preempt and eliminate tension. There is a legitimate fear that the present situation in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, southern Africa and a number of other areas of the world, for which imperialist forces are to blame, may at any moment get out of control and detonate not only a regional but even a global explosion.
62.	The Middle East continues to be one such explosive area. The anti-Arab Camp David deal has reversed the process of the Middle East settlement and untied the hands of the Israeli aggressors. Barbaric bombing attacks on peaceful civilians in Lebanon and the no less barbaric raid by the Israeli air force on the nuclear research center in Iraq, which is under IAEA supervision, are just some of the recent criminal acts that Tel Aviv has committed with the blessing of Washington, all of which constitute an escalation of its policy of international terrorism.
63.	The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR wholeheartedly shares the view that the cause of a settlement in the Middle East can be moved out of the present position of deadlock only through a collective search fur a comprehensive settlement on a Just and realistic basis within the framework of a specially convened international conference with the participation of all the States concerned, including the PLO, the legitimate representative of the Arab people of Palestine.
64.	Recently the situation in southern Africa has deteriorated sharply. The South African racist regime continue', to frustrate the decolonization of Namibia and to disregard Security Council resolution 435 (1978), which contains a specific plan for the solution of the Namibian problem.
65.	The Ukrainian SSR favors ensuring the the independence of Namibia as soon as possible, while preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the country and transferring power to SWAPO, which is recognized by the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity [OAU] as thee sole legitimate representative of the people of Namibia.
66.	We believe that the aim of the policy of delaying on various pretexts the solution of the Namibian question is to undermine the basis of the political settlement provided for in United Nations decisions, to legalize the puppet groupings in Namibia and to prevent SWAPO from participating in determining the future of the country.
67.	The complicity of the United States and other Western Powers in the political, economic and military strengthening of the South African racist regime is tantamount to encouraging that criminal regime to continue its illegal occupation of Namibia, prevent a settlement and commit new acts of aggression from Namibian territory against neighboring African States, It is quite obvious that the Pretoria rulers would not have risked mounting another adventure in Angola had they not been sure of support for their aggressive actions from international imperialists and reactionary forces. It is very illuminating that it was not long before such support was provided by the United States by means of a veto in the Security Council of the draft resolution condemning the racist aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of South African troops from Angola. We support the appeal by African States for the adoption by the Security Council of International sanctions, against South Africa.
68.	The Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean areas are be? coming ever more dangerous hotbeds of International tension, In stepping up its military presence the United States is expanding its existing military bases in that area and striving to create new ones. The Ukrainian SSR is in favor of declaring the Indian Ocean a zone of peace and of convening, of an international conference to this end at the earliest possible opportunity.
69.	A political settlement is necessary for the situation created around the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, It is the fault of the United States and China that an undeclared war is being waged against this sovereign State and attempts are being made to interfere in its internal affairs. The path towards a political settlement is outlined in the specific and constructive proposals contained in the statement of the Government of the Democratic Republic of. Afghanistan of 24 August 1981. We are confident that a settlement could be achieved if those proposals were to meet with an appropriate response from other States in that area, particularly Pakistan.
70.	Imperialist and hegemonistic circles continue to interfere in the affairs of the countries of IndoChina, particularly the People's Republic of Kampuchea, and to inflate the artificially created Kampuchean question. A realistic program for establishing stability  the area has been put for wan I by the Governments of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the People's Republic of Kampuchea. It advocates that negotiations on a regional basis be held on the subject, in a spirit of good-neighborliness and peaceful coexistence, and without outside interference. We believe that tills end would be served by convening a conference with the participation of the countries of IndoChina and those of the Association of South-East Asian Nations [ASEAN]
71.	In the interests of peace in Asia it is necessary also that the situation in the Korean peninsula be normalized, The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR believes that the Korean question must be resolved by peaceful means. We have consistently favored the withdrawal of American troops from the territory of South Korea and the unification of Korea on a peaceful and democratic basis, and we support the relevant proposals of the People's Democratic Republic of Korea.
72.	The proposal by the Government of the Mongolian People's Republic regarding the preparation of a convention on mutual non-aggression and the non-use of force in relations among the States of Asia and the Pacific, and the convening of a conference of States of that region [see A/36/388] would be Important steps in the strengthening of peace in Asia. On this question we are guided by the conviction that the formalization in a treaty of the principles of the renunciation of force in relations between the States of the region would serve as a guarantee of the consolidation of.the bases of security in Asia.
73.	Nowadays in the West, in the United States in particular, much is being said about the struggle against international terrorism, but there is a deliberate distortion of the real state of affairs. Efforts are being made to equate. terrorism -which is rightly condemned by world public opinion -with the legitimate struggle of the peoples of the world for their national and social liberation, We are categorically opposed to crude demagoguery about the struggle against international terrorism being used to conceal the activities of those who are breeding the ideology of racial and national hatred, who turn a blind eye to the resurrection of nazism and fascism, who support reactionary dictatorial regimes, who openly patronize the policy and practice of apartheid, who flagrantly violate human rights In the occupied Arab territories and who protect criminals from the bloodthirsty Pol Pot clique.
74.	We are profoundly convinced that the legitimate liberation struggle of the Palestinian people, as well as of the peoples of Namibia and other colonial and dependent territories, will be, crowned with success.
75. The United Nations must contribute in every possible way to the earliest complete Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples [General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV)] and strive for the implementation of all its provisions by all States. In this connection, we cannot but draw attention to the attempts to dismember and annex the strategic Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, that is, ' Micronesia, which are being made by the United States in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, in disregard of the Security Council and contrary to tho Declaration. Such unilateral actions cannot be regarded as legitimate or valid. The destiny of the people of Micronesia forms part of the problem of decolonization, and it is the duty of the United Notions not to permit legalization in any, form of the de facto annexation of that Territory by the United States.
76.	The main reason for the continued existence of the vestiges of colonialism Is the policy of the major Western Power? designed to preserve and strengthen their political, "military and economic positions in the world. This was made, very clear at the International Conference on Sanctions against South Africa held at Paris last May. The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR wishes to declare once again its full support for the national liberation movements waging a struggle for the independence of their peoples.
77.	Two decades have gone by since the foundations were laid for the non-aligned movement. At that time independent States of Asia, Africa and Latin America were not very numerous in the international arena. Today the non-aligned movement represents a major factor in international relations. It reflects the natural desire of liberated countries collectively to oppose the forces of Imperialism, colonialism, racism and hegenonism, to defend freedom and to strengthen their independence, for which their peoples have paid a high price.
78.	We are in favor of all-round fruitful co-operation with the developing and non-aligned countries. The policy of detente has promoted such co-operation, enhanced the economic and political role of newly independent States and made the non-aligned movement more active on an anti-imperialist basis. The trend towards the declaration of certain regions of the globe as zones of peace and the elimination of United States military bases on foreign territories has gained strength. Newly free countries are demanding more and more vigorously that capitalist States and their monopolies pay the bill for inequitable trade and economic exchange and they are more and more insistently demanding that Inequality in economic relations be eliminated.
79.	It should be noted, at the same time, that the achievement of genuinely complete national independence is impossible without the removal of the neo-colonialist fetters which restrain the development of many developing countries and bind them to the system of world capitalist economy. As is well known, the United Nations In the 1970s adopted a whole 'series of progressive instruments, in particular the Declaration and program of Action for the Establishment of a New International Economic Order [resolutions 3201 (S-Vl) and 3202 (S-Vl)) and the Charter of Economic Right and Duties of States [resolution 3281 (XXIX)J, the main purpose of which was to eliminate inequality in trade and economic relations between-developed capitalist countries and developing countries and to do away with the neo-colonialist exploitation of the labor and natural resources of young States by Western monopolies.
80.	The past years, however, have demonstrated that the practical Implementation of those instruments and the very idea of a new international economic order have en countered the stubborn opposition of leading Western countries. They pursue a policy aimed at preserving the subordinate situation of developing countries within the system of capitalist division of labor and at holding back their independent economic development.
81.	The discriminatory trade policy and the use of economic ties as a means of exerting political pressure by Western countries are causing great damage not only to economic interests but also to the cause of peace and detente.
82.	The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR is of the opinion that international trade and economic co-operation on the basis of equality, mutual advantage and respect for independence and national sovereignty is one of the safeguards of peace and security. However, it should not be forgotten that a genuine and effective solution of economic, social and other problems facing mankind is possible only In conditions of peace and with the elimination of the threat of war and the curbing of the arms race.
83.	The Ukrainian people is involved in peaceful creative activity for the implementation of the plan of social and economic development for 1981-1985 adopted at the XXVIth Congress of the Ukrainian Communist Party. The plans for economic, social and cultural development in our country are viewed as being inseparably linked to the implementation of the most Important international task, preserving and strengthening peace; for peace is the common heritage of mankind and the foremost condition for its existence and it should be ensured by the joint.efforts of the peoples.
84.	In conclusion, I should like to quote the words of Mr. V. V, Shcherbitsky, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukraine; "Mankind has suffered enough and deserves the victory of peace over war, trust over suspicion, reason over insanity. We believe that peace on earth will be preserved.


 For reasons of brevity, given the lengthy agenda of the present session of the General Assembly, the delegation of Paraguay will refer only to a few items that call for its immediate attention.
2.	Mr. President, we wish you success in the important functions entrusted to you, and we hope that at the end of your term we will be congratulating you, as we now congratulate Mr. Rudiger von Wechmar for the skill with which he conducted the thirty-fifth session. We also wish to thank the Secretariat and its distinguished and diligent head, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, for the assistance they have rendered to the Organization during the past year.
3.	We welcome the two new States of Vanuatu and Belize on their joining the United Nations, and we present our best wishes to them for the prosperity and wellbeing of their respective peoples.
4.	Peace, the raison d'etre and supreme purpose of the 1945 Charter, is a source of continuous concern for us, dominating our meetings and constantly challenging the ingenuity of our creative capacities.
5.	It is natural that it should be thus, for, without exception, we are all here to speak of peace: to praise it, to call for it, and to defend it. All of us, every one, are unswerving protagonists in this common effort, and all conventionalism vanishes before that inevitable equality. We all have the right to express our opinions on the state of the world, where peace is concerned.

6.	In this important field, the world is reeling from one shock after another. It is true that war, terror and crime cast shadows on our hopes, threaten them and even annihilate them. We need only go over the geography of our planet in order to find that every day violence reigns. We raise our voice here to denounce it, as in the case of Afghanistan, which has been trampled underfoot by the invasion of Soviet troops, or that of Kampuchea, which has been militarily occupied by Vietnamese forces. The Middle East and various regions of Africa are also hotbeds of tension jeopardizing world peace.
7.	It is because every effort must be made to preserve peace that my delegation favors a proposal made by President Chun of the Republic of Korea aimed at bringing about a resumption of talks, at the highest level, with the People's Democratic Republic of Korea with a view to reaching an honorable solution that would ensure a peaceful future for the peninsula in which, in the not too distant past, the United Nations made such great efforts. The Koreans themselves must, in an independent and peaceful manner, resolve the question of Korea which for 36 years has been divided through direct negotiations between the North and the South of the peninsula. Accordingly, it would be most desirable for the Secretary General to continue the efforts that began in 1979.
8.	The Americas are also feeling the scourge of violence. For more than two years the Republic of El Salvador has been prey to the ravages of a war of extermination, which is being encouraged by sinister designs of political domination. In keeping with its tradition of complete respect for the sovereignty of others, Paraguay rejects any attempt at bringing El Salvador under a power other than one that is freely and democratically chosen by the Salvadorian people themselves.
9.	Accordingly, because my country has consistently defended the principle of non-intervention and the Assembly will recall the case of Nicaragua, which in 1979 was notable for Paraguay's single and solitary vote we repudiate any attempt at foreign interference in that tormented sister Republic. It is a pleasure and a source of pride for me to say that the international position of my country in this regard has never wavered nor shifted one iota. We are faithful, loyal and convinced performers of our international commitments and the governing principles maintaining the dignity of nations.
10.	My country has understandably taken an interest in everything which has to do with the law of the sea since the start of the conferences on that issue almost a quarter of a century ago. We are a country without a coastline, but our situation as a landlocked country is a challenge which we must meet with dauntless will. We must overcome the obstacles that limit our access to the sea and seek other benefits from it; thus, protected by the future convention, my country will at the appropriate time request the legitimate advantages to which it is entitled.

11.	Our position as a landlocked country has for a long time adversely affected the development of our country, which today, fortunately thanks to the patriotic and extraordinary administration of the President of the Republic of Paraguay, General of the Army Alfredo Stroessner, and to the persevering efforts of my compatriots can point to highly significant indexes within the group of the countries of the American continent which accurately reflect the economic reality in Paraguay.
12.	An annual growth rate of 10.4 per cent, a rate of inflation lower than 16 per cent, a favorable balance of payments for 10 years, per capita income above $1,000, an exchange rate between the guarani and the dollar which has remained practically unchanged for 20 years, a national budget without deficit and a considerable increase in exports all are eloquent data which we in Paraguay can show today
13.	As has been so rightly stated by President Stroessner in his message last 1 April to the National Congress:
... our powerful reality is the fruit of peace, which we have been able to affirm and which we are willing to defend with all our energy, without ever giving up in the struggle against factors which oppose our national greatness. We have replaced the opprobrious regime of anarchy by freedom with order. We are not interested in any democracy which means the weakness of free institutions and sterile demagoguery, For us, democracy represents the rule of the popular will within a framework of law. For us, freedom means the reconciliation of all rights with a view to the common good."
14.	The Government of President Stroessner has a foreign policy based on full respect far the norms of international coexistence and the promotion of ties of solidarity with those countries which share the same ideals of independence, democracy and freedom.

15.	Paraguay has throughout its history maintained a well-defined American position, which in the course of this century has led it to take an active part in all political and economic organizations which have been established in the continent and to which we naturally belong by reason of geography or trade links.
16.	By reason of the same principles of solidarity and integration, Paraguay participates in the River Plata Basin System, in order to speed up the economic and social development of one of the potentially most wealthy regions in Latin America. With regard to specific achievements, my country has begun construction of two major hydroelectric plants on the Parana River one in conjunction with Brazil, which will have an installed capacity of 12,6 million kilowatts and the other with Argentina, with an installed capacity of 4.2 million kilowatts. These major sources of energy open up tremendous possibilities for the River Plata basin and will be true monuments to the fruitful and creative peace in which many million people will live. This is our significant contribution to the wellbeing and progress of mankind.
17.	I cannot, nor should I, end this brief statement without replying to the injudicious speech one more example of the truculent Castrist verbal diarrhea to which we are accustomed made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba yesterday [12th meeting].
18.	The policy of open criminal interference in the internal affairs of other States practiced by Fidel Castro, a kindred satellite of a superPower, was experienced by Paraguay in 1959 and in 1960 when international brigands who entered our country across the long border with Argentina were found to be in possession of weapons and equipment belonging to the Cuban army. That attempted invasion, the sinister design of which was to bring communism to my country, was severely repulsed by the Paraguayan people themselves taking up arms and by the regular army of the nation. Paraguay severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba in 1960 and ever since then has maintained unchanged its position of repudiation of Fidel Castro's bloody tyranny. My country never compromised by granting that regime concessions which proved fatal for other nations of the Americas. That is why we are not surprised or frightened by the bullying attitude of the arrogant Minister,


It is indeed a great personal privilege and honorF for me to be the first Prime Minister of Thailand to address this Assembly. I am here, on behalf of the people of Thailand, to pay a deserving tribute to the United Nations and its achievements. We do so under the compelling mandate of our history: the history of a sovereign nation with a longstanding commitment to the ideals of international peace, cooperation and harmony; a nation resolved to do its share and discharge its obligations as a responsible member of the community of States, be they obligations to peace and security or obligations in the economic, social or humanitarian fields. Equally important, we are a nation truly thankful for the degree of international order thus far achieved in place of the anarchy which might otherwise have ensued, had it not been for the way that the United Nations, time and.time again, refused to yield with regard to its principles.
4.	Despite the inherent limitations that beset the Organization at its present stage of development, the people of Thailand, as one of the peoples of the United Nations, joins me in reaffirming to you, Mr. President, our continuing commitment to the United Nations. We thank the Organization for its guiding influence in the search for solutions to the problems in our region and for its crucial role in averting a major human tragedy in oV part of the world. Above all, we reaffirm our faith m the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and pledge our continuing cooperation with all peace-loving Member States and with the Organization. The people of Thailand says that with conviction and a clear mandate from history.
5.	On this occasion, therefore, I have the honor to convey to you my delegation's as well as my own warm greetings and sincere congratulations on your election to the high office of President of this General Assembly. We are indeed fortunate to have presiding over our deliberations such an experienced diplomat and dedicated internationalist as yourself, especially at a time of heavy schedules and difficult circumstances. We are also gratified to see a President who comes from a country with which Thailand entertains cordial relations and which, is also a fellow Asian State and member of the third world. My delegation is confident that under your wise guidance our proceedings will be fully successful.
6.	I also wish to pay a warm tribute to Mr. Rudiger von Wechmar, President of the thirty-fifth, session, for his statesmanlike conduct of the proceedings of that session and of the special sessions. The Organization has witnessed an eventful year and has relied more than ever on the General Assembly as its forum for the consideration of various important issues. Mr. von Wechmar provided the requisite leadership and performed his duty with great distinction. He thus earned our profound gratitude.
7.	The delegation of Thailand is highly gratified to see two new Member States at this session taking their rightful places, namely, Belize and Vanuatu. We offer their respective delegations our sincere congratulations and wish to convey to their peoples our good wishes as well as the warm and friendly greetings of the people of Thailand.
8.	The Organization is fortunate to have as its Secretary-General Mr. Kurt Waldheim, especially during the past year. His sensitive and skilfullF handling of world problems, as well as his dedicated efforts in administering the Organization, have earned the deep respect and admiration of the Government and people of Thailand.
9.	Despite his tireless endeavors, however, many critical and complex issues persist in various parts of the world. Even though there are certain matters which Governments in their wisdom have chosen to keep outside the purview of the United Nations, it would still be impossible to enumerate all the weighty issues brought to the doorstep of the world Organization. A brief glance at the agenda will be sufficient to provide some idea of the expectations that the world has of the Organization and its Secretary-General. It may also be true to say that many items remain on the agenda because they are intractable issues. This adds not only to the burden of the Organization but also to a sense of frustration shared by us all.
10.	The eighth emergency special session of the General Assembly, devoted to Namibia, which concluded recently, focused world attention once again on that important problem, which has been with the United Nations since its inception. In this regard, the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Namibian people remain thwarted by South Africa, which illegally occupies Namibia and uses the Territory as a springboard for aggression against its neighbors. Thailand's consistent policy is to demand the cessation of South Africa's illegal acts and its complete Withdrawal from the entire Territory of Namibia without further delay, so as to enable the Namibian people to exercise their right to self-determination. That is why Thailand was pleased to support the proposal made by the group of African States to convene the emergency special session, as well as to render further support during that session to the worthy cause of Namibian freedom and independence. Since Thailand has scrupulously abide by the relevant United Nations resolutions on this question and has for several years voluntarily imposed a trade embargo against Pretoria, my delegation was able to vote in favor of General Assembly resolution ES8/2 and the call for comprehensive mandatory sanctions against South Africa.
11.	Thailand wishes strongly to urge once again that the Western contact group renew its efforts to bring about an unconditional implementation of the United Nations plan on the basis of Security Council resolution 435 (1978). If a peaceful solution on the basis agreed upon by all parties is further delayed, then the alternative of an intensified armed struggle, under the recognized leadership of the South West Africa People's Organization [SWAPO], will gain credibility as the only viable solution.
12.	Another problem which has been a matter of grave concern to this Organization from the outset is the situation in the Middle East. The seventh emergency special session of the General Assembly, held in July 1980, on the question of Palestine, the recent air attacks on Iraq's nuclear facilities and on the population centers in Lebanon by Israeli war planes, and the protracted war between Iran and Iraq are further manifestations of the disturbing situation in the Middle East. The Palestinian people continue to suffer from denial of their right of self-determination, and Israel continues to occupy Arab territories and to disregard the relevant United Nations resolutions. Thailand joins the international community in reiterating its stand that Israel must withdraw from the Arab territories which it has occupied since the 1967 war, and refrain, in the mean time, from all measures designed to perpetuate its presence. Thailand is convinced that a just and lasting solution to the ArabIsraeli conflict must be based on Security Council resolution 242 (1967), with due recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, as well as the undeniable right of Israel to exist.
13.	Each of the foregoing situations has its origin in the denial of the right to self-determination of the Namibian people and of the Palestinian people, respectively. As long as the illegal occupation of Namibia by South Africa, on the one hand, and of Arab territories by Israel, on the other hand, are permitted to continue, a threat to international peace and security will exist. MajorPower rivalry will be exacerbated and will further complicate the search for a peaceful solution. Such situations may at
times pose a challenge to the smaller Powers, especially those nearer the scene of conflict, to help arrest the escalation of the crisis. In so doing, they must act on the basis of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations in order to safeguard their own vital interests. Such a role of power broker has been assumed, for instance, by the non-permanent members of the Security Council, and has proved to be not only useful, but sometimes the only means to avert a catastrophe.
14.	In two other crisis areas, namely, Afghanistan and Kampuchea, there are also constructive roles for smaller countries, especially those situated near the scenes of conflict.
15.	In Afghanistan, the situation directly involves a major Power, because of its armed intervention and occupation of that country, which has in turn resulted in increasing tension and rivalry. While the Islamic countries seem fully intent on dampening down such rivalry, they are conscious of the real issue, namely, the foreign occupation which deprives the Afghan people of their right to self-determination. Thailand's position is to support, wholeheartedly the right of the Afghan people to determine their own future free from external interference and coercion. In this respect, Thailand joins in urging the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, as well as in calling on all concerned to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non aligned status of Afghanistan.
16.	In SouthEast Asia, the situation in Kampuchea continues to be of serious concern not only to Thailand, which is in the front line, but also to the international community. The foreign invasion and illegal occupation of that nonaligned country have disrupted the growing cooperation among the countries of .SouthEast Asia, and have led to a more intensified involvement and rivalry among the major Powers. It follows therefore that, so long as the Kampuchean problem remains unsolved, the proposal of the five member countries of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations [ASEAN] to establish a zone of peace in South East Asia cannot be implemented. However, my delegation believes that it is not too late to try to reverse this unfortunate situation. That is why the ASEAN countries have made strenuous efforts, together with other peace-loving nations of the world, to bring about a comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Kampuchean problem.
17.	Thailand is indeed gratified at the outcome of the International Conference on Kampuchea, which was convened by the Secretary-General in New York in July of this year.
18.	The Conference adopted the Declaration on Kampuchea and a resolution on Kampuchea,  reaffirming the fundamental principles, as well as providing a reasonable framework for a comprehensive political settlement, and outlining some modalities for achieving a just and durable solution of the Kampuchean problem. In the Declaration, adopted by consensus, the Conference took note of the serious international consequences of the situation in Kampuchea, in particular the escalation of tension in SouthEast Asia and major Power involvement as a result of this situation. The Conference stressed its conviction that the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Kampuchea.
the restoration of its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the commitment by all States to nonintervention in the internal affairs of Kampuchea are the principal components of any just and lasting solution to the Kampuchean problem. The Conference emphasized that Kampuchea, like all other countries, has the right to be independent and sovereign, free from any external threat or armed intervention, free to pursue its own development and a better life for its people in an environment of peace, stability and full respect for human rights. To this end, the Conference called for negotiations on the following important elements: a ceasefire and withdrawal of all foreign forces, under United Nations supervision; measures for the maintenance of peace and order in Kampuchea; and the holding of free elections under United Nations supervision. The Conference also deemed it essential to have agreement on appropriate arrangements to ensure that the result of the free elections will be respected by all parties, as well as agreements by other States concerned to ensure peaceful and stable conditions fox Kampuchea.
19.	In the resolution on Kampuchea, also adopted by consensus, the Conference established an Ad Hoc Committee to assist the Conference and to undertake missions, where appropriate, in pursuit of the worthy goal. The Ad Hoc Committee has already held an informal meeting at United Nations Headquarters and has agreed to convene its first formal meeting during the current session of the General Assembly. My delegation places its confidence in the ability of the Ad Hoc Committee, and its individual members, to play a useful role in carrying out its mandate.
20.	Thailand feels that the international community owes its grateful thanks to Mr. Willibald Pahr, President of the International Conference on Kampuchea, for his leadership, as well as to the Secretary-General for convening the Conference after the widest possible consultations and careful preparations. The results of the Conference, which was attended by an overwhelming majority of Member States, mark a constructive beginning in our common search for a peaceful solution of the Kampuchean conflict in keeping with the principles of the Charter and the relevant United Nations resolutions. My delegation hopes that the General Assembly this year will endorse those results and will proceed to build on that reasonable foundation.
21.	One of the most tragic consequences of the conflict in Kampuchea, as well as the recent fighting in other IndoChinese States, has been the IndoChinese refugee problem. Today, there are half a million IndoChinese displaced persons from Kampuchea, Laos and Viet Nam in the holding centers in Thailand and in encampments along the ThaiKampuchean border. This human tragedy has caused much suffering and created both internal and external problems for Thailand as well. Thanks to international assistance, such problems have been somewhat alleviated, but the unresolved situation calls for further assistance from the international community. Thailand's economic and social circumstances will not permit its Government and people to carry this tremendous burden for an indefinite period of time. It should be recognized that the problem is one of international .concern and its ultimate solution depends on a comprehensive political settlement, particularly of the Kampuchean conflict. That is another reason why my Government has spared no effort in trying to achieve a peaceful solution for Kampuchea. We appeal once again to all members of the world community to support our endeavors and, pending such a settlement and the safe return of the refugees to their homes, the international programs of assistance for the IndoChinese displaced persons in Thailand as well as along the ThaiKampuchean border should continue. Meanwhile, I wish to reiterate our sincere appreciation of the support we have received in this regard from the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, the various United Nations agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all the voluntary agencies concerned, as well as from the donor Governments and their generous peoples.
22.	Thailand's agreement to offer a temporary refuge to IndoChinese displaced persons is a manifestation of its humane policies, which are evident in another important area, namely, its campaign to eradicate the problems of drug abuse and illegal trafficking in narcotics. Here, too, cooperation between Thailand and other countries in and outside the region is essential. The Royal Thai Government has, therefore, entered into agreements with the United Nations and other countries concerned in order to maximize the effect of its anti-narcotics programs. Although there is relatively limited cultivation of the opium poppy in Thailand itself, my Government, which has been inspired by the projects of His Majesty the King, has undertaken a large-scale crop-substitution program in the hill-tribe areas of northern Thailand, with assistance and financial support from the United Nations and some friendly Governments. The real problem, however, is that of trafficking in heroin and other derivatives across dense jungles and rugged mountains into Thailand and beyond. It is not a simple matter for countries with limited resources to interdict traffic in narcotics in remote parts of their territories. However; international cooperation, assisted by the dedication and serious purpose of my Government, has thus far yielded encouraging results and should therefore be further strengthened, in order to spare mankind the dangers of drug abuse.
23.	The ability of smaller countries to carry out their well-meaning policies and programs is circumscribed by their capacity to tackle the pressing economic and social issues of the day. The plight of less developed countries, which share similar problems and conditions, has long been on the world agenda. Indeed, approximately 80 per cent of the entire budget of the United Nations system is devoted to tasks of economic and social development. However, there are more than 800 million people still living in abject poverty on this planet, and the irony is that, by the end of the Third United Nations Development Decade, their number will have increased to over a billion.
24.	At the same time, annual world expenditure on weapons has risen to $500 billion and is showing no signs of abating. In this connection, my delegation hopes that the second special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, to be convened in June next year, will succeed in reaching some of its goals.
25.	Rising expenditure on arms is symptomatic of a troubled world and the consequent preoccupation with national security. It is, therefore, imperative that the root causes of international conflicts must be eliminated in order to lessen the inherent dangers and to release greater resources for constructive purposes. Among the basic causes of conflict are the economic discrepancy and exploitation prevailing among nations. Thus, the vicious circle is completed and we must devote our untiring efforts to breaking the cycle of poverty existing in the larger part of the world.
26.	Thailand is a developing country and a member of the third world. While external circumstances have compelled my Government to increase its defense expenditure, the fact remains that the greater part of the national budget is earmarked for economic and social development, particularly in the rural areas of the country. The 19821986 Fifth Economic Plan aims at maintaining the growth rate of our economy in real terms in the neighborhood of 6 to 7 per cent per annum. During the past decade, the average growth rate of Thailand's economy of more than 7 per cent should indicate the level of its economic performance, despite worldwide economic problems and the severe energy crisis. However, there are new and unexpected problems, such as the refugee problem, as well as the implications of a population growth rate of approximately 2.5 per cent per annum. Dependence on oil imports also represents a heavy burden on our economy, although this is gradually being lessened by the availability of offshore natural gas and other new and renewable domestic sources of energy. Moreover, since most of our export commodities are affected by price fluctuations and trade barriers imposed by the industrialized countries, our terms of trade have deteriorated. Therefore, to supplement our internal efforts, we need to rely on appropriate actions in international forums, particularly in the establishment of a new international economic order and the implementation of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade. Closer cooperation in economic and technical fields among the developing countries themselves can also open up new possibilities and serve as a viable alternative.
27.	Interdependence among countries is a reality, not a mere slogan. Nations may ignore this fact only at their peril. Major issues, too, are interdependent, be they in the fields of trade, investment, technology, money or finance and development. Tackling these issues requires a true meeting of minds at the global level. The interdependence of problems means that there can be no fragmentation of interests and concerns. In other words, reshaping a new economic framework demands an integrated and comprehensive approach. The program of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order was adopted in recognition of the momentous and dynamic changes already influencing the entire international economic landscape. The new order was to effect such changes in a comprehensive and integrated manner, thereby attempting to ward off the; adverse consequences that disorderly changes would bring.
28.	Nevertheless, the last of the diminishing opportunities for a sustained and constructive dialog on the global level between developed and developing countries was lost when efforts to launch a new round of global negotiations failed, both at the eleventh special session and at the thirty-fifth session. Continued endeavors on the part of the Group of 77 and many of its friends to achieve some forward movement have encountered various moves to procrastinate. Resolution 34/138 was adopted by consensus in the Assembly two years ago. As of today, only a name the United Nations conference for global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development has been agreed upon.
29.	It spite of the discouraging trends in present day international economic cooperation, Thailand remains prepared to play the constructive role it has been playing in all United Nations forums. The policy of my Government calls for greater cooperation with other developing countries in efforts to bring about a better life and greater human dignity for our respective peoples. We shall continue to play oUr part so that the worthy goals of a restructured world economy can eventually be achieved.
30.	It is our fervent hope that after the International Meeting on Cooperation and Development, to be held soon at Cancun, all parties concerned will be more "willing and ready to proceed with pending international negotiations and concrete actions in many forums, on such matters as dealing with new and renewable sources of energy on the basis of the Nairobi program of Action and the resolutions adopted by the United Nations conference in August this year, the question of science and technology for development and the pending issues at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. In all these matters, my delegation wishes to urge the industrialized countries to heed the voice of reason and to have the necessary foresight so that they may see that all mankind will be the ultimate beneficiaries. The world cannot survive a nuclear holocaust; nor can it survive a struggle of attrition between the rich minority and the overwhelming majority who are poor. The human community must rise above the confines of self-interest. The United Nations can still.provide Governments with a useful forum as well as a framework not only for the tasks of identifying and focusing world attention on issues, but also for the search for peaceful solutions for such issues. Given the necessary goodwill and political will, States can overcome their differences in the interest of all. Thailand will not be found wanting in that regard.