100. The Government of the People's Republic of Romania attaches particular importance to the sixteenth session of the United Nations General Assembly, for this session is called upon to examine and help to find solutions to the problems on our agenda, problems which are of the utmost significance in the evolution of the whole international situation. In the present circumstances, when a new war would bring with it untold devastation and sacrifices, the defence and consolidation of peace must be the primary task of all the peoples of the world and the compelling duty of all Governments. The Romanian Government is convinced that the international problems now at issue are in no way insoluble, that they can and must be solved in the only reasonable way, that of negotiation, common sense and wisdom.
101. We must condemn and resolutely reject the advocacy of war as a means of resolving differences between States. In this respect, the United Nations is called upon to play a fundamental role, for in accordance with the basic principles of its Charter, it is its duty to act as an effective instrument in finding peaceful solutions for disputes among States in order to save mankind from the scourge of war.
102. Unfortunately, the United Nations has so far repeatedly failed to live up the hopes of all peoples and has shown a passive attitude to the action of the
Powers members of the NATO military bloc, actions which have endangered world peace. It is high time that the United Nations should become a resolute and steadfast champion of international peace and security.
103. At present this requirement is all the more compelling since the international situation has worsened and the danger of a new world war has increased. The fact that from one year to the next solutions have been deferred to such basic problems as the liquidation of the sequels of the Second World War, general and complete disarmament and the final liquidation of colonialism has led to an immense accumulation of explosive material in the world and has brought about a situation in which all delays in the adoption of constructive solutions would entail most serious dangers for the peace and security of all States. The forces of imperialism persist in maintaining the sequels of the Second World War, in continuing and intensifying the armaments race and in keeping their colonial possessions; they cling to all that is antiquated, backward and obsolete; they obstruct the solution of major international problems so as to maintain an outdated situation that is hated by the peoples.
104. The events which have accumulated since the fifteenth session of the General Assembly show that the imperialistic Powers do not hesitate to resort to military ventures in order to attain their selfish purposes. The armed aggression organized by the United States against Cuba, the colonial war waged by Portugal in Angola, the continuation of the war in Algeria, the aggression committed by France against Tunisia, and the recent massacres in the Congo are but a few instances of acts which imperil international peace and security. If we turn to the documents of the Security Council for this period we shall find that in all instances the accused Power was a member of the NATO bloc.
105. A special cause for concern is the fact that, despite repeated proposals of the Soviet Union to remove the vestiges of the Second World War, the United States and its allies pursue their police of encouraging a revanchist spirit and promoting militarism in West Germany.
106. The international situation had noticeably worsened during the past few months because, in reply to the new Soviet proposals regarding the conclusion of a peace treaty with the two German States, and the transformation of West Berlin into a free and demilitarized city, the Western Powers have resorted to military measures, have accelerated to the utmost the tempo of their armaments race, and have issued war like threats.
107. In our view, the main breeding ground for war created in the centre of Europe can be eliminated only by the conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany. It is just because there is no peace treaty with Germany that the NAT6" Powers have been able to revive the Bundeswehr, to supply it with the most up-to-date weapons, including rockets, and to encourage the revanchist tendencies in Western Germany, the only European State which has made the aim of its foreign policy the revision of the boundaries drawn after the war. West Berlin has been transformed into a hotbed for acts of provocation and espionage, for the acts of militarists and German revanchists. Western Germany has become the main instrument in this policy of aggression aimed at the socialist States, and West Berlin is in the front line of this policy.
108. The Western Powers have increased the number of their armed military occupation forces in West
Berlin and have brought new troops and air units to the Federal German Republic. They are recalling reservists and are continuing to take emergency measures in an atmosphere of warlike hysteria.
109. During the statements made in this hall, the Western representatives took care not to mention these provocative acts which might, at any moment, lead to a disastrous conflagration. They prefer to speak of agreements and treaties. Treaties, it has been stated here, should be observed not only in the spirit but also in the letter. We fully agree with this view, but who can maintain that all the measures designed to create in the Federal Republic of Germany the most powerful war machine in Western Europe, to provide Western Europe, to provide the West Germany Army with the most modern weapons, to reinstate Hitlerian generals in the posts of command, and to rebuild the war industry are compatible with the Potsdam agreement^ which, as everybody knows, was concluded precisely in order to guarantee the demilitarization of Germany and resurgence of German militarism? It is not strange that an agreement concluded for the purpose of demilitarizing a State should be invoked as the legal basis for the -demilitarization of that State?
110. As far as it is concerned, the Government of the People's Republic of Romania is convinced that the conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany, with the participation of all other interested States, would be a major contribution to a relaxation of international tension in Europe. The conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany would help to improve relations between States. It would finally liquidate the sequels of the Second World War, arrest militarism and revanchism in West Germany, and pave the way for a peaceful and democratic development for the entire German people.
111. If we are to tackle realistically the solution of a peace treaty with Germany, we must recognize that there are today two German States, the German Democratic Republic and the German Federal Republic.
112. The German Democratic Republic, the first truly democratic and peaceful State in the history of Germany, is steadfastly pursuing a policy in accordance with the national interests of the German people and the interests of world peace and security.
113. Revanchist forces in West Germany, and those supporting them, cannot accept the idea that a German State can exist which is devoted to the ideals of peace and democracy and which wants all Germany to pursue a policy of peace. In support of the policy of swallowing up the German Democratic Republic they invoke the noble principle of self-determination. This is indeed a record in political acrobatics. How can we reconcile the principle of self-determination with the Paris agreements concluded in 1954 by the United States, Britain, France and the German Federal Republic, which in effect provide that Western Germany will be occupied by foreign armed forces until the end of the century? Is it conceivable that any people would willingly agree to entrust their destinies to foreign occupants for three generations ? As to West Berlin, it is clear that the United States, Britain and France mean one and the same thing by self-determination— the maintenance of the military occupation of that city.
114. If we add to this the fact that the Netherlands, while speaking of self-determination for West Irian, is dispatching new troops there; that the French Government considers that the Algerian people are entitled to self-determination only in the presence of French troops; and that bases and garrisons of colonial Powers are maintained in many States that have become independent, we cannot but note that a new doctrine has appeared in the West, a doctrine according to which self-determination can exist only under foreign military occupation.
115. In these circumstances, the representatives of the Western Powers should not be surprised that this doctrine is regarded with a justifiable measure of reserve and distrust. Many countries represented in this Assembly have -learned from experience what the right to self-determination under the yoke of foreign military occupation means.
116. As regards the Romanian Government, its position is quite clear. We wish to sign a peace treaty with both German States together with the Western Powers. But if these Powers refuse to take part in the conclusion of a peace treat;?, Romania, together with the Socialist countries and other States wishing to do so, will sign a peace treaty solely with the German Democratic Republic.
117. We consider also that the admission of the German Democratic Republic and the Federal German Republic to membership in the United Nations would check the freedom of action of the militarists and revanchists in Western Germany, would help to bring the two German States closer together, and would reduce tension in Europe and throughout the world.
118. Mankind1 s most fervent wish is that peace should be defended and strengthened and that a world should be created that was free from aggression and war. The United Nations was erected by the peoples , on the ashes and ruins of the Second World War and its purpose was to preserve succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
119. The only course which can once and for all put an end to the armaments race and the dangers of a devastating nuclear war is that of general and complete disarmament. The demobilization of all armed forces, the prohibition of the re-establishment of such, armed forces in any form whatsoever, the banning and destruction of all stocks of weapons, the halting of the production of all types of weapons, including atomic, hydrogen, chemical, bacterial and other weapons of mass destruction, the liquidation of all means, of delivering nuclear weapons, the abolition of all military bases on foreign territory, the elimination oil the military apparatus of States and of all military establishments under effective international control, all this would make it quite impossible to commit aggression or unleash a war.
120. In 1959, acting on a proposal of the Soviet Union, the General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution [1378 (XIV)], proclaiming general and complete disarmament and singling out this item as the most important question confronting mankind, The resolution appeals to all Governments to exert every effort to implement the terms of the resolution. However, despite the two years which have elapsed since then, no progress had been recorded toward the achievement of this goal, which represents the unanimous aspirations of all peoples.
121. The opponents of general and complete disarmament, those who promote a policy of force, have up to now prevented the conclusion of an agreement on this question, which is of vital importance for mankind, and have sought to reopen the debate on the objective itself which was laid down in the resolution adopted by the General Assembly.
122. The Romanian delegation has just noted with satisfaction that following the bilateral exchanges which have taken place during the past three months between the Soviet Union and the United States, an agreement has been reached on certain principles to be followed during negotiations on general and complete disarmament [A/4879]. Such a result can only be regarded as a constructive and a heartening.
123. But the hopes awakened by the publication of the joint Soviet-United States declaration regarding the principles of general and complete disarmament have been dampened, for the Government of the United States, as is clear from its proposals at this session [A/4891], adheres to its former position regarding controls without disarmament, a position which would tend to institute a broad espionage network. This position undoubtedly stems from aggressive and military circles and shows that peace-loving countries must continue to exert every effort to promote the cause of general and complete disarmament.
124. As the President of the State Council of the People's Republic of Romania, Mr. Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, stated from this rostrum at the fifteenth session of the General Assembly [873rd meeting], the best criterion for determining how genuine and effective a disarmament programme would be is to consider how that programme, if it were carried out, would affect the armaments race and chances of war.
125. The new United States proposals would leave the military potential of States intact, or more or less intact, for an indefinite period of time and these States would continue to have nuclear weapons and missiles, that is to say rockets, aircraft, warships, submarines, etc. The new proposals do not provide for the elimination of military bases in foreign territories. Thus they are far from meeting this criterion and the requirements of general and complete disarmament.
126. To guarantee that a general and complete disarmament programme will be carried out, there must be effective international controls which must, at each stage, be on a scale commensurate with the scope and nature of the measures taken for disarmament.
127. The Western Powers have accelerated the armaments race and have intensified their military preparations, thereby increasing international tension and the dangers of the new war. In these circumstances, only the adoption of a disarmament programme, including in its first phase radical measures designed to reduce the military potentials of States with strict and effective international controls, could help to reduce the threat of war.
128. The programme of general and complete disarmament submitted by the Government of the Soviet Union begins by providing for a substantial reduction in the armed forces and armaments of all States as well as the destruction of all means of delivery of nuclear weapons and the elimination of all military bases in foreign territories. The Romanian delegation therefore considers that this programme can from the first stage of its application halt the armaments race and substantially reduce the danger of war and of aggression. The dangers of a nuclear war could be completely averted only by the total abolition of nuclear, chemical and bacterial weapons, by the cessation of their production and by the liquidation of existing stockpiles, as provided for in the Soviet Union programme. The problem would thus be finally solved in the interests of all.
129. Debating the question of the cessation of nuclear tests separately would not reduce the danger of a nuclear war and could not constitute an effective safeguard for peace, for the stockpiles of atom and hydrogen bombs would remain intact. It follows that this question can be resolved only by the application of a broad programme for general and complete disarmament which would eliminate nuclear weapons and their means of delivery.
130. The Romanian Government has declared and still declares its support of the elimination as quickly as possible of nuclear weapons from the arsenals of States, and implicitly, of the cessation of nuclear tests. If a treaty on general and complete disarmament were adopted as soon as possible, whereby the means of delivery of nuclear weapons and the nuclear weapons themselves would be eliminated, mankind would be the more speedily safeguarded from the danger of devastating nuclear war.
131. All peoples today expect the General Assembly of the United Nations to adopt a decision conducive to a resumption of negotiations on disarmament, which would speed up the achievement of disarmament.
132. As a participant in the Ten-Power Committee for disarmament, the Romanian Government is well aware that the problem of general and complete disarmament is a complex one which can be solved only by means of thorough and detailed negotiations. These negotiations must take place in an appropriate setting which will enable the representatives of the three groups of States existing in the world today to express their points of view and to participate with all due responsibility in the achievement of general and complete disarmament, inasmuch as the solution of this problem as promptly as possible is of equal concern to all peoples.
133. The fifteenth session of the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the granting of independence to all colonial countries and peoples" [resolution 1514 (XV)]. By adopting this document the United Nations has ranged itself with the peoples who are fighting heroically to free themselves from colonial oppression.
134. The process of disintegration of the colonial system, which is a phenomenon of world historical importance, has become much more marked of late; it has dealt heavy blows to imperialism and reduced its sphere of influence. After the Second World War dozens of countries with populations of hundreds of millions have shaken off the chains of colonial subjugation and have played an active part in international life. This fact is haying a beneficial effect on international relations and represents a great victory for the peoples and for the cause of progress in the whole world.
135. However, that does not mean that colonialism is dead, as the representatives of the colonial Powers are saying from this rostrum for reasons that are easy to understand. At the beginning of 1961, eighty-eight territories, with an area of nearly 15 million square kilometres and a population of over 71 million, were still under colonial rule. There are still 35 million inhabitants in the British colonial possessions alone. This figure, only 5 per cent of that of the former British colonial empire, may seem small from the colonialists' point of view, but it looms large in the eyes of the subjugated peoples.
136. If we look at what is going on in Algeria and Angola, in South West Africa, Kenya and Oman, we shall realize that the colonial system is not dead yet. In these territories, many armies, equipped with the most up-to-date weapons, are exterminating the indigenous populations that are struggling for their independence, killing women and children, wiping out whole districts and villages, and imprisoning many thousands of men in concentration camps.
137. The whole world can see that the waging of colonial wars, the enlargement of the network of military bases and the plots and aggressive acts of the big monopolies that are trying to retain their ancient privileges and the positions they held in the past are not only ways of putting down the peoples' struggle for their liberation and of preserving the colonialist order, is also a source of grave international complications.
The Government and people of Romania support immediate abolition of the shameful colonial system in all its forms and manifestations.
139. The Romanian delegation considers that the General Assembly must, in the interests of peace and of the security of peoples, take effective steps to apply, with the least possible delay, the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples. It supports the proposals presented by the Soviet delegation on that subject [A/4889], for it regards them as providing the necessary framework and the effective measures needed for putting into effect the provisions of the General Assembly's resolution.
140. We must act in such a way that the year 1962 will mark the end once and for all of colonial servitude and that the seventeenth session of the General Assembly will unite the representatives of all the nations that are still oppressed.
141. The existence of various States having different ideologies and social systems is a very characteristic fact in the world of today. In these circumstances, the only fair and reasonable policy that can govern the relations between these States is that of peaceful coexistence. The constant and steadfast promotion of the principles of peaceful coexistence and of the development of multilateral co-operation between States is the raison d'etre of the United Nations. It is an undeniable fact that the principles of peaceful coexistence are gaining ever-increasing support throughout the world. But it would be wrong and it would endanger the cause of peace to close one's eyes to the fact that there are still forces hostile to the application of those principles, forces that oppose to them a policy that has nothing in common with international peace and cooperation.
142. One expression of this policy, which ignores reality and which is doomed to failure, is the prevention of the People's Republic of China from occupying its lawful place in the United Nations.
143. At a time when the United Nations is entrusted with complex tasks and great responsibilities, we cannot ignore the fact that the effectiveness of the Organization is greatly affected by the absence of the People's Republic of China, one of the great world Powers, without which the solution of any international problem would be inconceivable.
144. The Romanian People's Republic firmly requests that the People's Republic of China should be restored
l to its rights and that Chian Kai-shek's clique of impostors should be expelled from the United Nations. We
shall firmly oppose any manoeuvre aimed at retarding the settlement of this problem. The injustice and illegality of this usurpation of the rights of the Chinese ' people are so flagrant that any delay in the restoration of those rights gravely affects the prestige and authority of the United Nations.
145. As regards the question of the United Nations Secretariat, the Romanian delegation considers that that question must be solved in accordance with the interests of all the groups of States that go to make up the Organization.
146. The latest events have aggravated the crisis which for some time has been hampering the activities of the United Nations and which has been brought about by the fact that the executive apparatus has been taken over and used by the group of Western Powers for selfish and one-sided purposes that are contrary to the interests of the United Nations. This state of affairs has led, among other things, to the situation in the Congo. There the Western Powers had recourse to acts which would dismember the territory of the Congo Republic; they armed those who were supporting them in Katanga and, using the United Nations emblem, engaged in bloody provocation and intrigues against the Congolese people.
147. The moment has come to draw the appropriate conclusions and to put an end to a situation when the carrying out of the decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly is distorted by the executive apparatus.
148. The United States delegation continues to invoke the argument that the Organization must be strengthened in order to justify its own rigid position on the question of the Secretariat. But how could the attempt to impose a solution dictated by the interests of one group of Powers and directed against other groups of Powers contribute to strengthening the United Nations?
149. Such attempts to impose a solution that favours one group of States and is detrimental to another are precisely what has weakened and is weakening the United Nations.
150. Obviously the proposal to appoint an executive head without having the most elementary guarantee that the errors of the past will be avoided can lead only to a situation in which the United Nations ability to act will be reduced to a minimum.
151. The Romanian delegation deems it its duty to draw attention to an extremely serious aspect of the question, namely respect of the provisions of the United Nations Charter which has been and remains the legal basis of all the United Nations activities. The United Nations remains strong as long as the Charter is respected and is weakened when the Charter is violated. The provisions of the Charter on the election of the Secretary-General are precise and no legal or political quibble can change the provisions of Article 97. Any move to prevent the question of the appointment of a new Secretary-General from being examined by the Security Council—the most important body of the United Nations—would be a grave violation bf the Charter.
152. At this moment in the present international situation, when tension in the world has increased and when grave dangers are threatening peace, it is particular^ important not to impose decisions that might make the tension still worse, poison the atmosphere and make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Member States to co-operate in ensuring the effective functioning of the United Nations in the service of world peace.
153. If the United Nations is to play an active part in reducing international tension and if it fulfils its major task as laid down in the Charter of being "a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations" , then it is essential that the executive apparatus of the United Nations should be so constituted as to guarantee objectivity and duly reflect the interests of all Member States.
154. The Romanian People's Republic is sincerely attached to the cause of peace; it wants an atmosphere of relaxation and confidence and the development of good-neighbourly relations between States founded on mutual respect, confidence and co-operation.
155. Our country's peace policy reflects the fundamental interests and appropriations of the Romanian people which is concentrating on building an advanced economy and raising its material and cultural well- being.
156. Over a relatively brief historical period, the old Romania which was economically backward, an agricultural dependent State and source of raw materials for the imperialist Powers, has changed into a country with a flourishing and up-to-date industry and mechanized agriculture.
157. Industrial output is five times greater now than it was in 1938 and the rate of development, which is increasing was 17 per cent higher in 1960 than it had been in 1959. In Romania, important primary commodities are being manufactured today such as machinery for the petroleum industry, machine-tools, tractors, harvester-threshers and other agricultural machinery, trucks, electric and Diesel engines and a whole variety of chemical and petrochemical products. Our country is exporting industrial equipment for the complex process of extraction and refinement of petroleum, tractors and other products.
158. We have also made great strides in our agriculture.
159. The results achieved in the economic field have led to a rapid rise in the material and cultural level of our people. The growth in the consumption of industrial and food products, the building of new dwellings on a large scale, the ever growing number of school children and students, free education and medical care, and the remarkable developments in science, literature and art are striking evidence of this fact. As a result of steps taken by our State, real wages have increased during the last ten years by 85 per cent. Romania is at present carrying out a six-year economic development plan, as a result of which industrial production will have doubled between 1959 and 1965 and agricultural production will have increased considerably.
160. The Romanian people wishes to go on with this peaceful constructive work and to reap the fruits of its labour in a world free from the threat of a nuclear disaster.
161. The relations of the People's Republic of Romania
with many countries of Europe, Africa, Asia and the two Americas -have developed both in a spirit of mutual interest and of international co-operation. For our part we shall do our best to ensure that this favourable evolution pursues its course.
162. We shall also continue to promote the idea of pacts for peaceful and good-neighbourly relations between States on a regional level. We regard such pacts as an effective contribution to a sounder international atmosphere. The Romanian Government has directed its attention first of all to the geographical region in which the Romanian People's Republic is situated: the Balkan-Adriatic region. Unfortunately, the Government of the NATO States continue to reject the Romanian Government's proposals and have recently launched a campaign of incitement against the Socialist countries while continuing intensive military preparations.
163. The Romanian Government is convinced that if a denuclearised and rocket-free zone were established in the Balkans and the Adriatic region peace and security would be strengthened in Europe and international life in general would benefit. For that reason it maintains its proposals and will persevere in its defence of the principles of peaceful coexistence between the Balkan States.
164. The Romanian delegation wishes to express once again this year its opinion that the question of the education of young people in a spirit of peace, of mutual respect and of friendship between the peoples— a question which was discussed at the fifteenth session of the General Assembly—is of the utmost importance. It wishes to emphasize the urgency of taking measures to. put this idea into practice.
165. The problems confronting us are by no means easy to solve. Nevertheless we think that as a result of the joint and persevering efforts of all Member States, the General Assembly will help to promote a relaxation in international tension. In that respect, the Romanian delegation attaches the greatest importance to the proposals made in the Soviet Government's memorandum concerning measures to reduce international tension and strengthen confidence between States.
166. We hope that the General Assembly will do its utmost to justify the confidence of the peoples and to fulfil the noble mission of the United Nations, which is to safeguard world peace and security.