Palestine question – GA general debate – Verbatim record (excerpts)

Official Records

United Nations

General Assembly

Fiftieth Session

21st plenary meeting

Thursday, 5 October 1995, 3 p.m.

New York

President: Mr. Freitas do Amaral ……………………………………………………….. (Portugal)

The meeting was called to order at 3.15 p.m.

Agenda item 9 (continued)

General debate

…

The President: I call next on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, His Excellency Mr. Fernando Naranjo Villalobos.

Mr. Naranjo Villalobos (Costa Rica) (interpretation from Spanish): …

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There are no conflicts without solutions. All ground is fertile for reconciliation. How many tears were shed in South Africa, how much blood was spilled in the Middle East! However, animosity has gradually disappeared and harmony is beginning to flourish. Multicultural democracy is giving a new and peaceful direction to the history of South Africa. With the recent agreement on the West Bank, Israelis and Palestinians continue to show that peace is always possible. If there is a will for peace, peace can be achieved. In that context, the United Nations must continue to be the forum where all the peoples of the world have fair representation. No country should be excluded from becoming a Member of this Organization.

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The Acting President (interpretation from Spanish): I now call on the Chairman of the delegation of Malawi, His Excellency Mr. David Rubadiri.

Mr. Rubadiri (Malawi): …

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My Government is encouraged by the progress being made in the Middle East peace process. We commend the courage and determination of the Government of the State of Israel as well as the leadership of the Palestine National Authority to move ahead. The two players deserve the unflinching support and applause of the international community to ensure that elements which are opposed to the peace process do not succeed.

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The Acting President (interpretation from Spanish): I now call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Moussa Chehem.

Mr. Chehem (Djibouti) (interpretation from French): …

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The handshake between President Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin in September 1993 was a source of great hope and we can but rejoice further at recent events. The second phase of negotiations led to the signing in Washington of the Taba Accord on 28 September 1995. We can only welcome that outcome. We encourage the two parties to persevere in their efforts to expedite the implementation of these agreements. They must strive to contain the violence of extremists and to take all necessary measures to strengthen mutual trust, which will, undoubtedly, contribute to lasting peace.

The mutual recognition of Israel and of the PLO has opened up a tremendous opportunity to strengthen peace and development in the Middle East, as well as trading and economic potential for the entire region. These are the stakes and neither of the parties, neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis, should underestimate the importance of this new perspective.

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The meeting rose at 6.45 p.m.

This record contains the original text of speeches delivered in English and interpretations of speeches  delivered in the other languages.  Corrections should be submitted to original speeches only.  They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and be sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned, within one month of the date of the meeting, to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, Room C-178.  Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.