94. The thirteenth session of the General Assembly is beginning its work in an atmosphere of international tension which gives rise to serious apprehension. If the United Nations is to fulfil its mission, it must take resolute and effective steps without delay to avert the danger of war and to develop friendly co-operation between peoples on the basis of peaceful coexistence.
95. The question of peaceful coexistence or war is the crucial issue in international life today.
96. On the one hand, the circles in the Western imperialist States which are eager for war are continuing to organize campaigns against peace and the development of friendly co-operation among peoples on an increasingly intensive scale. They are stepping up their armaments, particularly in the field of nuclear weapons, and are using aggressive military blocs and bases situated in the territory of foreign States in order to carry out their expansionist plans against peace. This policy is leading to the aggravation of international tension.
97. The leading part in this is being played by the aggressive circles of the United States which are seeking to achieve world domination and to arrest the course of human progress by their "position of strength" and "brink of war" policy, and by the organization of subversive activity and armed intervention.
98. On the other hand, the forces of peace which are struggling stubbornly to cement world peace and international security are constantly on the increase. It is because these forces are closely-knit and resolute that it has so far been possible to avert a military conflict and to protect world peace
99. In this decisive struggle of the peoples for peace and progress, against war and reaction, the correlation of forces in the world is changing to the increasing advantage of those who stand for the peaceful coexistence of States irrespective of their social systems, for the settlement of outstanding international problems by peaceful negotiation and for a far-reaching relaxation of international tension. However strong the opposition put up by aggressive forces, the wind from the East, as they rightly say in the People's Republic of China, is stronger than the wind from the West. The correlation of forces is finally also changing to the advantage of the peoples who are fighting colonialism.
100. The peace-loving peoples, however, must not lower their guard, particularly at present when a new and serious threat to peace and security has arisen in two parts of the world, and when the aggressive policy of the Western Powers, particularly the United States of America, has again brought the world to the verge of a military conflict.
101. We are concerned firstly with the Far East on which the attention of the peoples of the whole world is at present focused. The grave increase of tension in the area of Taiwan is fraught with the danger of a military conflagration.
102. The cause of the present situation is the aggression committed by the United States against the People's Republic of China. United States armed forces have occupied the Chinese territory of Taiwan and the Penghu (Pescadores) islands and have turned them into a military base for use against the People's Republic of China and other peace-loving States. They are protecting a bunch of traitors who have settled on these islands, having fled from the wrath of the Chinese people on the mainland. They are now threatening to extend their aggression to the islands lying just off the Chinese coast.
103. The United States Navy and Air Force are deliberately violating Chinese territorial waters and air space and are striving to hamper the just efforts of the Chinese people to liberate these islands. In order to camouflage the aggressive actions of the United States of America, references are being made to the fulfilment of "obligations' towards the bankrupt adventurer, Chiang Kai-shek, who has been driven out by the Chinese people.
104. The United States has recently taken hasty measures to strengthen its naval forces in the Taiwan Strait and Is transferring warships to the Far East from various parts of the world. The point of these transfers, which are designed to demonstrate the might of the United States of America, is to force the People's Republic of China to submit to the dictation of the United States by means of threats and blackmail.
10$. If, in pursuing its aggressive policy, the United States finds conventional diplomatic methods inadequate, it resorts to methods of direct intervention, threats and open coercion. In addition to the notorious aspects of this policy such as the inflammatory broadcasts from the so-called "Radio Free Europe" and the "Voice of America", the launching of balloons and the dispatch of saboteurs, United States ruling circles have recently been adopting a new method, namely, the transfer of naval and air forces which they are moving from one spot to another like a cat playing with its kittens. In the attempt to make the situation in the Taiwan area even more acute, the United States is also resorting to the threat of using atomic weapons. United States interventionist forces in the Taiwan area are armed with nuclear weapons and missiles, which greatly increases the danger of a war in which weapons of mass destruction would be used.
106. It would be politically naive to imagine that demonstrations of military strength and threats by boastful generals to use atomic weapons could intimidate the great Chinese people who fear no one and have already taught aggressors many a lesson. The Chinese people are struggling for a just cause; they are struggling for the liberation of their territory from foreign invaders, which is why they have the full support of all peace-loving opinion. Closely united in support of their Government, the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese people are not alone in their just struggle. They have reliable 'allies and true friends in whose ranks the Czechoslovak people has the honour to count itself. We are firmly on the side of the Chinese people, to whom we are bound by profound and lasting friendship, in their struggle against United States aggression and for the realization of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China.
107. The United Nations should resolutely condemn the despotic actions of the United States, which has arbitrarily assumed the right to fix its so-called defence perimeter and the sphere of operations of its armed forces within the territory of another sovereign State, in this case, the People's Republic of China. Such action can only be described as open aggression and is reminiscent of the Nazi lebensraum theory, the purpose of which was to justify the use of armed force.
108. In the attempt to whitewash the aggressive measures taken by the United States against the People's Republic of China, President Eisenhower has gone so far as to assert that United States action in the Far East was necessary in order to avert another Munich, but since Munich has been mentioned, I would remind you of what Munich meant. The Czechoslovak people well remember that the Western Powers then made use of Nazi Germany to form an aggressive alliance of the imperialist forces against the USSR and they cynically sacrificed the independence and territorial integrity of the Czechoslovak Republic at Munich with that end in view. The peoples condemned Munich and its organizers chiefly because direct support of an aggressor was involved. And if we are to apply the lesson of Munich to present events in the Far East, it is essential to take a resolute stand against the aggressors in that area, that is to say, the United States of America, and to support the People's Republic of China which is defending its inalienable rights in " own territory. Those are the facts and no distortion can change them.
109. The United States is responsible for the continuance of an abnormal situation, extremely damaging to the prestige of the United Nations, in which a great Power and one of the founder members of the United Nations — the People's Republic of China — is being denied its lawful rights. The sovereign rights of the Chinese people should be fully respected; the lawful representatives of the People's Republic of China should occupy their seats in the United Nations without delay and the Chiang Kai-shek puppets in United States service should be banished from the Assembly Hall of the United Nations once and for all.
110. Lasting peace in the Far East cannot be achieved until the United States withdraws its armed forces from Taiwan and other Chinese islands and ends its policy of provocation and blackmail with regard to the People's Republic of China. The above facts should make it clear to everyone that responsibility for the future development of events in the Far East rests entirely with the United States Government.
111. World attention is still focused on the dangerous situation in the Near and Middle East, a situation which has arisen as a result of armed intervention by the United States in Lebanon and by the United Kingdom in Jordan. The resolution adopted at the third emergency special session of the General Assembly, which called for the early withdrawal of all United Kingdom and United States interventionist forces from Lebanon and Jordan and the cessation of interference in the domestic affairs of these countries, has not yet been carried into effect. Despite the request made by the General Assembly, the interventionist forces of the United States and the United Kingdom continue to occupy both countries, and there is no sign of their being withdrawn in the near future. Not only has no time limit yet been fixed for their final withdrawal, but steps are being taken to prolong their stay for an indefinite period,
112. The settlement of internal political problems in Lebanon and Jordan is exclusively a matter for the peoples of these two countries. The United States and the United Kingdom have not been authorized to act in the role of the notorious "Holy Alliance" and to use armed force in defence of reaction wherever it happens to suit them or wherever their strategic and political positions need reinforcement.
113. Tactics such as the token withdrawal of one or two military units from Lebanon must be brought to an end. They are merely Intended to distract the attention of the world public from the real purpose of the interventionists, which is to prolong the stay of their forces in Lebanon and Jordan indefinitely. In the interests of restoring the situation in the Middle and Near East to normal, the United States and the United Kingdom must comply with the unanimous demand of the peoples and must withdraw their forces from this region without delay in accordance with the General Assembly resolution.
114. In that connexion, the United States Government's manoeuvre to secure the establishment of a so-called stand-by United Nations force for dispatch to the territory of various States, first and foremost those of the Middle and Near East, should be vigorously condemned. We cannot allow intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries to continue in future under cover of the United Nations.
115. The time has passed when the uniform of a foreign soldier was a guarantee of the unshakable domination of the colonial Powers. Today, nothing can prevent the peoples of colonial countries from shaking off the fetters of century-long foreign domination once and for all. This is particularly true of' those countries in which the colonizers are employing the crudest methods against the liberation movement of the indigenous peoples. L am thinking first of Algeria where the French colonizers have been waging a destructive war for some years in order to repress the Algerian people's national aspiration for liberation; then of Cyprus where the British colonizers are imprisoning and executing Cypriot patriots fighting for their freedom, and of Yemen and Oman, two small States in the Arab Peninsula, which have been savagely bombed by the United Kingdom Air Force,
116. The United Nations should concern itself with these facts, should condemn the aggressive acts of the colonial Powers and defend the interests of the peoples of these countries which are battling for the right to live in freedom and Independence. The Czechoslovak people is deeply sympathetic towards the peoples of the colonial countries struggling for their liberation, and is convinced that in our time no armed action by the colonizers can reverse the course of history or impede the just and victorious struggle of the much- tried peoples of the colonial countries.
117. The most important of the outstanding international problems is that of disarmament.
118. We are witnesses to the continuing arms race which is imposing a heavy burden on wide sections of the working people, is having an unfavourable effect on the. international atmosphere and on mutual relations between States, and is a constant threat to the peace and security of peoples. The solution, or at least some progress towards the solution, of the disarmament problem would make a major contribution towards easing international tension and preserving and strengthening world peace. Accordingly, in the opinion of the Czechoslovak delegation, every possible effort should be made to halt the present arms race, to conclude an agreement on effective measures for a substantial reduction in armaments, to ban atomic weapons and to establish a system of international control.
119. There is no doubt that, in the interest of peace and security, the best solution would be to work out and conclude an agreement on the disarmament problem as a whole. This radical solution would be welcomed by all the peace-loving peoples of the world as the most effective means of removing the threat of war and ensuring lasting peaceful coexistence.
120. If a general disarmament programme cannot be carried out at present because of the reluctance of the Western Powers, then the only possible solution is the gradual execution of the most urgent partial measures, which should have been agreed on long ago. The memorandum on measures in the field of disarmament submitted by the Soviet Union delegation on l8 September, for consideration by the present session of the General Assembly, is of exceptional importance. We consider that the measures proposed in the memorandum offer practical possibilities for solving the disarmament problem. The Czechoslovak delegation fully supports these proposals and hopes that other delegations will also do so in the interests of progress in this problem.
121. Undoubtedly one of the major tasks calling for special attention in this sphere is the attainment of agreement on the immediate discontinuance of tests and the prohibition of atomic weapons. The discontinuance of test explosions carried out as a separate measure, would undoubtedly also have a favourable effect on the solution of other disarmament problems, inasmuch as it would prevent-the stockpiling and further development of atomic weapons and might ultimately lead to their complete prohibition, to their elimination from the armaments of States and to the destruction of existing stocks.
122. That is why so wide a response was evoked by the Soviet Union's initiative of ending test experiments of all types of atomic weapons unilaterally on 1 April 1958 and in appealing to the United States of America and the United Kingdom to follow suit.
123. However, the events of the last five months unfortunately show that the Western Powers have no intention of following the extremely important example set by the Soviet Government and thus laying the foundation for an agreement on the immediate general discontinuance of nuclear tests. On the contrary, they are doing everything they can to sabotage the first practical step which has been taken to end the arms race. Instead of making a positive response to the Soviet Union's appeal, the United States and the. United Kingdom, in an effort to gain military advantages, are conducting the most intensive series of test explosions of nuclear weapons ever carried out. In the next few days, for example, the United States is to set off ten more nuclear explosions.
124. World public opinion condemns the nuclear weapons tests which are continuing on an ever-increasing scale in the United States and the United Kingdom. These tests are intensifying the atomic arms race and further poisoning the atmosphere with radioactive fall-out. The conclusions of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation provide a new warning of the growing danger to our own and future generations, which is involved in the increased radioactivity in the earth's atmosphere resulting from continuing nuclear explosions.
125. One of the chief objections the Western Powers have raised to the immediate general discontinuance of test explosions is the impossibility of establishing a control system. However, the discussion of this problem at the international conference held at Geneva this summer demolished that contention once and for all, inasmuch as experts from East and West, including Czechoslovak scientists, came to the unanimous conclusion that, at the present stage of scientific development, an effective system for controlling the discontinuance of nuclear tests could be devised, The United States and the United Kingdom are nevertheless continuing to pose new obstacles to the attainment of an agreement. Their expression of willingness to agree to a temporary discontinuance of tests is so hedged about by new conditions and delays that it must in effect be regarded as a rejection of an immediate and unconditional ban on nuclear tests. In their statements, they declare their willingness to discontinue nuclear tests for one year, but they make an extension of this period contingent on the solution of other disarmament problems.
126. Thus it is quite clear that the purpose of such actions by the United States and the United Kingdom is to make it as difficult as possible to reach an agreement even on a few partial disarmament problems, the most vital of which is the prohibition of nuclear tests.
127. The Czechoslovak delegation therefore welcomes the item entitled "The discontinuance of atomic and hydrogen weapons tests" which has been proposed for inclusion in the agenda of the present session of the General Assembly by the delegation of the Soviet Union [agenda item 701. The discussion of this item, which is of interest to all States, and the adoption of an appropriate recommendation by the General Assembly will unquestionably contribute to the success of the negotiations among the great Powers, which are to begin at Geneva on 31 October, on an agreement to discontinue nuclear weapons tests.
128. Ever-increasing attention is at present being devoted to the problem of banning the use of cosmic space for military purposes, which is inextricably linked with the problem of the elimination of military bases on tire territories of other countries.
129. It is wholly in the interests of peace and security that the great scientific and technological discoveries which are bringing us closer to conquest of the universe should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. However, if intercontinental ballistic missiles are to be removed from the arsenals, it is also necessary to eliminate the military bases on the territories of other countries, which are designed to serve as launching sites for the dispatch of missiles and bombers against the Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist camp. It is impossible to agree to the solution of this problem being approached from the standpoint of the security interests of certain States, without regard to the security of other States.
130. The continuing arms race and rising military budgets are weighing more and more heavily upon the peoples. A reduction in the military budgets of the great Powers — the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and France — would have the effect of slowing down the arms race and would make it possible to release funds to develop the non-military economy, raise the level of employment and enhance the well-being of mankind. It would also make it possible to allocate substantial funds for the economic development of the under-developed countries. The item proposed by the delegation of the Soviet Union entitled "The reduction of the military budgets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and France by 10-15 per cent and the use of part of the savings so effected for assistance to the under-developed countries" has this end in view [agenda Item 72]. The Czechoslovak delegation welcomes this step by the Government of the Soviet Union as further proof of the Soviet Government's unremitting efforts to solve the disarmament problem,
131. In view of the efforts being made to carry out partial measures directed towards reducing armaments and ensuring international security, the Czechoslovak Government regards as most important and urgent the proposal by the Government of the Polish People's Republic for the establishment of an atom- and missile-free zone in Central Europe. This proposal has had a broad response in Europe and elsewhere. The establishment of an atom-free zone would be a substantial contribution to the preservation of peace, would help to create an atmosphere of trust, and would facilitate the solution of other problems, particularly those relating to disarmament. There is increasing support for the idea of establishing an atom-and missile-free zone in other areas of the world as well.
132. At the present time, when International tension is particularly acute in certain areas of the world, the establishment of regional atom-and missile-free zones in Central Europe, the Near and Middle East, the Far East and perhaps other areas, too, would contribute substantially to the easing of tension and to the strengthening of international security.
133. The arming of the West German Army with atomic weapons and missiles, which is being carried out with the approval of the Western Powers, particularly the United States, constitutes a serious danger to the peace and security of Europe. This danger is increased by the continued and intensive establishment of United States atomic bases on the territory of West Germany, the formation of new aggressive units of the West German Wehrmacht under the command of high-ranking Nazi generals, and the fanning of war hysteria and revanchisme against the socialist countries.
134. German imperialism was and is a serious threat to all European States, especially Germany's neighbours. The arming of West Germany with atomic weapons and missiles is particularly dangerous, in our opinion, because the Federal Republic of Germany is the only European State with territorial claims against other States.
135. As a State that borders Germany, Czechoslovakia is understandably following the course of events on its western frontier with growing anxiety — particularly in view of the fact that the military preparations in West Germany are being accompanied at this moment, by troop manoeuvres on the frontiers of the Czechoslovak Republic in which atomic weapons are to be used, and by other provocative acts.
136. We are approaching the twentieth anniversary of the dictated settlement of Munich, which was the prelude to the Second World War. At that time, the Western Powers trampled their obligations towards Czechoslovakia under foot and thus paved the way for nazi fascism to embark on a military gamble which claimed millions of human lives and inflicted enormous material damage. It is unforgivable that the Western Powers should now be repeating their short-sighted policy of supporting the West German militarists, whose aggressive plans once more constitute a serious threat to the freedom and independence of the peoples of Europe.
137. The Czechoslovak people learned an important lesson from their betrayal at Munich by the Western Powers which were then their allies and from the horrors of war which followed. For that reason they now rely firmly on the Soviet Union, with which they concluded a treaty of friendship, mutual assistance and post-war co-operation fifteen years ago. The Republic's security and present international position fully confirm the correctness of that decision.
138. The Czechoslovak Government welcomes the proposal made by the Government of the German Democratic Republic on 4 September 1958 that the Governments of the USSR, the United States, the United Kingdom and France should setup a commission to begin consultations on the formulation of a peace treaty with Germany, in which representatives of both German States would participate in a manner to be agreed upon. This part of the German problem, that is, the formulation of a peace treaty with Germany, can be settled now, specifically by means of joint negotiations between the representatives of both German States and the representatives of the four great Powers. The Czechoslovak Government therefore also supports the proposal of the Government of the German Democratic Republic for the establishment of a commission consisting of representatives of both German States to study the problems relating to a peace treaty. That commission could also, if necessary be empowered to consider the possibility of establishing a peaceful, democratic and united Germany, a matter which is the exclusive concern of the two German States.
139. These proposals are a further expression of the peace-loving policy of the Government of the German Democratic Republic and their implementation in present circumstances might be a first step towards the settlement of all questions relating to the German problem.
140. The Government of the Czechoslovak Republic will continue to sound the alarm regarding the dangerous course which events are taking in Western Germany and will oppose the arming of the West German militarists with atomic weapons and missiles. In carrying out its policy, the Czechoslovak Government is giving ample evidence of its desire to maintain neighbourly relations with the Federal Republic of Germany. In the interests of the peace and security of Europe, it would be desirable to restore our relations with the Federal Republic of Germany to normal and to develop them in the spirit of peaceful coexistence. The Czechoslovak Government has frequently expressed its readiness to move in that direction.
141. The peoples of the world are conscious of the danger which threatens peace and they look to the United Nations to facilitate its removal.
142. Our Organization possesses the requisite means to fulfil its mission. Its Charter, which is rightly considered the most important international instrument of the post-war period, provides a firm foundation for the united efforts of countries with differing social systems to pursue the common goal of safeguarding world peace and international security. Yet if we consider the way in which the United Nations applies the principles of the Charter in the course of its practical activities, we cannot but conclude that it has not yet justified the many hopes placed in it by peaceful peoples. We are constantly witnessing flagrant violations of the Charter committed by the Western Powers in their efforts to convert the United Nations into an instrument of their policy.
143. An obvious example of tills is the policy of the United States. The 'recent statement made by Mr. Dulles, the Secretary of State of the United States, in the course of the general debate [749th meeting] was also characteristic. How is it possible to talk about the need to abide by the principles of equality and mutual respect within the United Nations and simultaneously, in the same breath, to commit aggressive acts against sovereign States, as is being done in the Taiwan Strait and as was done in the case of the armed intervention in Lebanon and the organization of subversive activities in the Hungarian People's Republic?
144. In his statement during the general debate Mr. Dulles, the head of the United States delegation, again raised the provocative question of the so-called "situation" in Hungary and in Eastern Europe in general. The purpose of such statements is obviously to divert the General Assembly's attention from the aggressive acts being committed in different parts of the world by the ruling circles of the United States.
145. The words spoken by the representative of the United States delegation in the General Assembly are in marked contrast to the line taken by the United States Government in its bilateral relations with States. In a memorandum delivered to the Czechoslovak Government on 12 September 1958, on the eve of the opening of the General Assembly session, the United States Government agreed that the political and economic regimes of the East European countries were the exclusive concern of the peoples of those countries. Yet despite those assertions, the Government of the United States, as may be seen from Mr. Dulles' statement, is seeking to use the United Nations as a means of interfering in the domestic affairs of the East European countries.
146. The current strained international situation emphasizes the primary responsibility of the great Powers for easing international tension. That is why world public opinion responded with so much hope and sympathy to the USSR Government's proposal for the holding of a summit conference.
147. The convening of a conference and the discussion of those urgent problems on which agreement could most readily be reached would be the best means of lessening tension between States and averting war. The Western Powers are trying to prevent such a conference being held at an early date by proposing the inclusion in its agenda of items which cannot provide the basis for an agreement.
148. The Czechoslovak Government is wholeheartedly in favour of the proposal to hold a summit conference. The Government of the Czechoslovak Republic is ready to take part in such a conference if it is invited to do so and will do everything in its power to promote its success.
149. A prerequisite for the settlement of the urgent and thorny problems which characterize the present international situation is the restoration of confidence among States.
150. It was with that end in view that the members of the Warsaw Fact, meeting in a session of the Pact's Political Advisory Committee in May 1958, proposed to the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as we know, the conclusion of anon-aggression pact, a step which in present international circumstances would be of cardinal importance in easing international tension and strengthening peace. In that connexion, the Czechoslovak delegation wishes to reaffirm the Czechoslovak Government's readiness to become a signatory to such a pact.
151. The socialist States have given many convincing proofs of the sincerity of their proposals aimed at lessening international tension and strengthening peace. That sincerity is attested by such disinterested unilateral measures as, for example, the historic step taken by the USSR in discontinuing nuclear weapons tests or the announced reduction in the armed forces of the members of the Warsaw Pact by a further 419,000 men — a figure which includes a reduction of 20,000 men in the armed forces, of the Czechoslovak Republic. At the same time, the Government of the USSR decided to withdraw its armed forces from the Romanian People's Republic and reduce the strength of its armed forces in the territory of the Hungarian People's Republic.
152. An important contribution to the cause of strengthening of peace and security in the Far East is the independent decision of the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that all units of the Chinese People's Volunteers should be withdrawn from Korea this year.
153. Nevertheless, to the detriment of the cause of peace and of the lessening of international tension, the initiative of the socialist countries and the series of unilateral measures they have taken with a view to strengthening mutual trust and creating favourable conditions for future negotiations between East and West have not been followed by similar steps on the part of the Governments of the United States and other Western Powers.
154. Recent years have witnessed considerably greater efforts to ensure the development of peaceful and friendly relations among States on the basis of mutual esteem and advantage, non-aggression and respect for State sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and non-intervention. The principles of the policy of peaceful coexistence have gained wide international acceptance and the majority of States are guided by them in their relations with each other.
155. In the conduct of its international relations Czechoslovakia has based itself in the past and bases itself today on the principles of peaceful coexistence. The policy of peace and friendly co-operation among nations is inherent in the very nature of our social system. In accordance with the objective of building a socialist society in Czechoslovakia within a short period of time, Czechoslovak, foreign policy 1b designed to ensure the most favourable international conditions for the attainment of this goal. Our country therefore strives tirelessly and consistently for the maintenance and strengthening of general peace and security, the development of peaceful co-operation among countries irrespective of their social and political systems, the lessening of international tension and the settlement of all disputes through peaceful negotiation.
156. The Czechoslovak Government applies the principles of peaceful coexistence in its day-to-day policy. It is developing friendly relations with all countries which are guided by the same considerations. Czechoslovakia, particularly in recent years, has, to an increasing extent, been developing mutually profitable economic ties with the under-developed countries; thus helping to strengthen friendly relations.
157. Basing itself on the principles of a consistent peace policy, the Government of the Czechoslovak Republic has proposed for inclusion in the agenda of the current thirteenth session of the General Assembly an item entitled "Measures aimed at the implementation and promotion of principles of peaceful coexistence among States" [A/3847 and Add.1].
158. It is true that, at its last session, the United Nations took a significant step towards the application and observance of the principles of peaceful coexistence with the adoption of General Assembly resolution 1236 (XII) on peaceful and neighbourly relations among States. Yet so far little progress has been made towards the application by all States, regardless of variations in their social and economic systems, of the principles then adopted. The basic reason for this unsatisfactory state of affairs is that the circles which are eager for war have not abandoned their "position of strength" policy, the policy of forming military blocs, and have not renounced armed intervention and interference.
159. The application of the principles of peaceful coexistence by all States, irrespective of their political, economic and social systems, will help to bring States closer together, to produce a gradual easing of international tension and to promote peaceful cooperation among States.
160. It is particularly desirable that the principles of peaceful coexistence should be widely applied in relations between European countries with different social systems.
161. The removal of the mistrust among States provoked by the unfavourable course of international events in recent years can be facilitated not only by the development of political, economic and cultural relations and wider contacts among statesmen, but also by the assumption of joint responsibilities, which would have the effect of strengthening peace and international security.
162. Practical measures for the application of the principles of peaceful coexistence would provide a more stable basis for the development of mutual relations, particularly in scientific, cultural and technological matters, with a view to enabling peoples to become better, acquainted with the achievements of the various countries. The vitality of the idea of peaceful coexistence and friendly co-operation among peoples is demonstrated by the Brussels International Exhibition, in which a large number of States with different social systems have participated, including Czechoslovakia.
163. Personal contacts among representatives of Governments and parliaments and among other public officials are of great importance in bringing peoples together and in Improving mutual relations. This year a Government delegation from the Czechoslovak Republic visited a number of countries in Asia, including India, Indonesia, Burma, Ceylon, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Those visits contributed to the further strengthening of friendship and co-operation between our Republic and those peaceful countries, where the principles of peaceful coexistence have taken firm root.
164. Czechoslovakia is in favour of peaceful competition among States for the benefit of all mankind and the cause of progress throughout the world.
165. The Czechoslovak delegation hopes that the General Assembly will consider and adopt appropriate recommendations for the observance and application of the principles of peaceful coexistence among States. It trusts that the work of the thirteenth session and the results it achieves will contribute in every possible way to the attainment of that high purpose.
166. The Czechoslovak delegation for its part will do everything in its power to make the thirteenth session of the General Assembly a successful one.
35. In its speech in the general debate on 24 September 1958 [756th meeting], the Czechoslovak delegation emphasized the serious nature of the situation brought about by American-British intervention in Lebanon and Jordan.
36. The Czechoslovak delegation feels it should again take the floor in the general debate and draw the attention of the General Assembly to the danger of that situation, in the light of new facts concerning the withdrawal of American and British forces from this region.
37. The threat to the peace and security of the Arab States brought about by the American-British aggression has not yet been removed. Not Only the Arab countries, but all the peace-loving peoples deeply disturbed by the threat to peace and security In this area, are interested in the improvement in the dangerous situation in the Near and Middle East.
38. The basic requirement of the resolution adopted on 21 August 1958 by the General Assembly at its third emergency special session [resolution 1237 (ES-III)] has not been fulfilled to this very day. American and British forces, as confirmed by the Secretary-General's report to the General Assembly [A/3934/Rev.1], are still in Lebanon and Jordan and are occupying these countries despite the insistent appeal of the United Nations to withdraw. The United States and the United Kingdom keep putting forward more and more conditions in order to delay the withdrawal of their forces as long as possible.
39. We fully concur with the Sudanese Foreign Minister who said yesterday [771st meeting] that he considered the withdrawal of these troops as essential if peace was to be stabilized and tension reduced in this region, and that the troop withdrawal should be carried out without any conditions.
40. The Czechoslovak delegation fully supports the demand made here that the Governments of the United States and Great Britain should fix the earliest possible date for the final and unconditional withdrawal of their forces from Lebanon and Jordan.
41. In the United States Government's memorandum annexed to the Secretary-General's report [A/3934/ Rev. 1. annex 1] the withdrawal of American armed forces is made dependent upon the international situation. The withdrawal of British forces from Jordan, according to the United Kingdom Government's memorandum [ibid.. annex II]. is also made dependent on a satisfactory situation in this area. In other words, the American and British forces — who ought to be able to find their way back, having invaded Lebanese and Jordanian territory so rapidly — are to be withdrawn, as they say, in God's own time.
42. In a statement [768th meeting]. Mr. Gromyko, Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the USSR delegation to the United Nations, has proved quite clearly that the excuses offered by the interventionists are groundless.
43. What do the interventionists wish to gain? The conditions put forward by the United States and the United Kingdom for the withdrawal of their forces, namely, when the international situation permits, are by no means fortuitous. They are deliberately calculated to postpone compliance with the clear requirement contained in the resolution adopted at the third emergency special session.
44. The true cause of the threat to peace and the tension in the Near and Middle East, relaxation of which the United States and Britain supposedly desire, is the continued intervention by these countries in Arab affairs.
45. By advancing the above-mentioned conditions, the interventionists hope to create a vicious circle so that they can postpone the withdrawal of their forces until they think fit. In actual fact the United States and the United Kingdom are creating a fantastic situation — a situation which looks roughly as if they want the patient to recover completely before they lance his abscess. There will be a real relaxation of tension in the Near and Middle East and an improvement in the situation only when the Western Powers renounce their policy of intervention in the internal affairs of the Arab countries and of inciting one Arab State against another, when they withdraw their Interventionist forces from the territory of those countries.
46. The United States is also trying to justify its reluctance to withdraw forces promptly from Lebanon by asserting that the problem of withdrawal should be negotiated with the Lebanese Government. But what sort of negotiations could these be if they are held in the shadow of American tanks, warships and aircraft? There can be no question of talks on an equal footing or of any freely-taken decision by the Lebanese Government In such circumstances, but merely of a unilateral diktat on the part of the United States. Lebanon, after all, has been asking for the withdrawal of American troops for a long time already and is still doing so. The American Government has nevertheless not complied with the demand and is putting forward more and more conditions.
47. In the light of these facts the assertions made by prominent representatives of United States foreign policy — even at this session of the General Assembly — that they are not intervening in internal affairs of Arab States, appear very strange. Mr. Lodge has given his word here that the principles of the United States foreign policy are not at all self-seeking. He said on 2 October 1958 [768th meeting], for example, that the United States had committed no aggression against Lebanon, that his country was not trying to put off complying with the General Assembly's resolution and was not obstructing the withdrawal of American forces, but unfortunately for Mr. Lodge the world, which is now well acquainted with United States foreign policy, no longer believes such statements, especially when they are accompanied by further intervention in and pressure on the Arab countries.
48. The recent actions of the United States Ambassador to Lebanon, which caused universal indignation and censure, are proof of this intervention and pressure.
49. The United States has even gone as far as demanding that the new Lebanese Government should include persons acceptable to the United States Government. This gross intervention backed up by the presence of American armed forces is a violation of the principles of the Charter. It has met with firm resistance from the Lebanese people and has been rejected by the present Lebanese Government.
50. As regards the Secretary-General's report, it should be pointed out that, despite the care with which • he has drafted it, he interprets the resolution of the third emergency special session incorrectly by asserting that the "political essence" of the resolution is the problem of relations between Arab States.
51. We cannot agree with this interpretation which just suits the interventionists. The main point of the joint draft resolution of the Arab countries, which the Assembly adopted unanimously, was the demand for the withdrawal of the troops. The efforts of the Secretary- General should have been concentrated primarily on ' ensuring that the requirement was carried out. And about that point we learn very little in the Secretary- General's report.
52. The peoples of the Arab countries, with whose just struggle against the colonialists for freedom and independence we sympathize, have the right to settle their own affairs by themselves without any outside intervention. These peoples protest against the presence of the interventionist forces of the United States and the United Kingdom on their soil.
53. If the United Nations intends to carry out the mission for which it was instituted, it must rise to the defence of the Arab peoples and take a resolute stand against the continuing intervention and interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries; it must call for the immediate withdrawal of the United States and British interventionist forces from Lee on and Jordan.