Mr. President, I should like, on behalf of: the Czechoslovak delegation, to congratulate you on your election to your high office and express the hope that under your, guidance the seventeenth Session of the General Assembly will yield positive results.
150. During the past year, further great victories have been won by the peoples in the struggle for peace, freedom, independence and equality. As a result of the general growth of its economy, science and culture, there has been a particularly marked increase in the strength of the world socialist system and in its influence on world development. One of the great achievements of Soviet science and technology was the group flight of the Soviet astronauts Nikolaev and Popovich, which marked a new phase in the conquest of outer space.
151. A significant factor in promoting peace is the increased participation of many countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America in international affairs.
152. The World Congress for General Disarmament and Peace in Moscow, the “World Without the Bomb” Conference at Accra and a number of other peace meetings held during the past year show that the peoples of the world have one burning desire which the Governments of all countries and the United Nations must make every effort to satisfy: removal of the threat of, nuclear war.
153. Mankind's efforts to achieve social progress are, however, encountering stubborn resistance from the forces of the old world, which are doing everything possible to impede it and to turn technical and scientific achievements against mankind. They are feverishly developing armaments from which they derive fantastic profits, installing military bases everywhere and equipping them with weapons of mass destruction. These forces are fostering and creating new and dangerous sources of tension and, in their endeavour to aggravate the international situation as much as possible, they do not evert hesitate openly to advocate preventive thermo-nuclear war.
154. At this moment we are witnessing wide-spread persecution of the Republic of Cuba. The United States — which is a founder Member of the United Nations and a member of the Security Council — is flagrantly violating its obligations by openly pursuing an aggressive policy against Cuba, causing justified apprehension on the part of peace-loving countries.
155. Now that its economic blockade has failed to bring the heroic people of Cuba to their knees, it is stepping up preparations for a military attack on that country.
156. On Friday, we heard a statement from this rostrum to the effect that the United States would not attack Cuba [1127th meeting]. At that very time, however, the United States Congress adopted a decision which bristles with threats against Cuba. Consequently, the statement of the United States delegation does not convince us. Quite the contrary. We well remember, the United States representative gave the same assurances in the United Nations on the very eve of the aggression against Cuba in April 1961.
157. Today in-the United States preparations are being made to call up reservists, attacks on Cuba from the United States territory are being organized and many United States leaders are busily looking for pretexts for attacking Cuba, are even urging piracy in international waters and, by incredibly blatant pressure and threats, are forcing other countries to support them in their aggressive activities against Cuba.
158. Why is the development of Cuba arousing such anger and hatred in the ruling circles of the United States? Can it be that the United States, a nuclear Power, is threatened by an attack on the part; of Cuba, with its six million inhabitants? The complete absurdity of such an assertion is self-evident.
159. The United States Government will not reconcile itself to the fact that the Cuban people, under the leadership of their revolutionary Government headed by Fidel Castro, have overthrown the mercenary and tyrannical Batista regime, freed themselves from colonial dependence and made it impossible for foreign monopolies to pump out their national wealth and enjoy the fruits of their labour. The United States Government will not reconcile itself to the fact that the Cuban people have become the masters of their own country, are Striving to overcome the disastrous consequences of their economic, social and cultural bondage, are building a truly new and free life and are pursuing a consistent policy of peace and friendly co-operation with all countries. As a sovereign State, Cuba has every right to see that it is fully equipped to defend the results of the creative labour of its people against United States threats and aggression.
160. On behalf of the Government and people of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, I have the honour to salute from this rostrum the heroic Cuban people and their Government. Czechoslovakia is one of the States which are developing friendly relations and close co-operation with Cuba. Such co-operation is fully in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter and we shall continue to develop it, whether or not some people approve.
162. We categorically condemn the irresponsible imperialist policy being pursued against Cuba. It should also be condemned by all States which are guided in their policies by the principles of the Charter. If the United Nations were to condone such a policy, if it failed to oppose violation of the sovereign rights of States and interference in their internal affairs and if it did not support the right of peoples freely to choose their social systems, its end would be inevitable.
163. In the interests of peace and in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter, the plots directed against the freedom and security of Cuba must cease and the United States must abandon the policy and re-establish normal relations with the Republic of Cuba.
164. We also feel it necessary to draw the attention
of the General Assembly to the dangerous situation resulting from United States aggressive actions in South Viet-Nam. It is well known that in the territory of South Viet-Nam regular United States Army troops, with headquarters at Saigon and equipped with the latest weapons, are engaged in operations aimed at the extermination of the people of South Viet-Nam, United States armed forces are taking part-in these operations and in the construction of concentration camps into which the population of entire regions is. herded.
165. If the United States armed action against Cuba has reached the stage of active preparation, in South Viet-Nam it is in full swing. The United States is trying by-fire and sword to crush the movements of the heroic people of South Viet-Nam for the liberation and re-unification of their country. It is flouring the Geneva Truce-Agreements on Indo-China and assuming the function of an international police force, is openly defending the puppet régime of Ngo Dinh Diem, which is hated by the people.
166. The main reason for the present world tension is this behaviour of the United States, which wants to suppress by armed force the peoples' desire for freedom and true independence.
167. In his statement, the United States representative once again indulged in gross slander of the socialist countries. It is quite unnecessary to refute this lie from the "cold war" arsenal. It is, however, time the United States stopped trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the countries of Eastern Europe and time it faced the facts and finally realized that the peoples of these countries have severed all ties with capitalism and freely chosen the goal of building socialism, an endeavour in which they are achieving increasing successes and thereby making s significant contribution to the cause of world peace.
168. The most urgent task of our times is to remove the danger of thermo-nuclear war by bringing about general and complete disarmament. Despite the untiring efforts of the USSR and other socialist countries, however, the negotiations concerning this problem have yielded no practical results. This also applies to the work of the Eighteen-Nation Committee, which was established at the sixteenth Session of the General Assembly [resolution 1722 II-(XVI)] and of which Czechoslovakia is a member.
169. At the beginning of the Committee's work, the USSR Government submitted a practical; clearly- worded draft “Treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict international control” thus at the very outset laying the right foundation for business-like and fruitful negotiations. This draft treaty solves a fundamental problem — removal of the danger of thermo-nuclear war by the elimination the means of delivering nuclear weapons during the first stage and the elimination of the nuclear weapons themselves during the second stage.
170. Later in the negotiations the USSR Government, in its efforts to help to reach agreement, submitted further proposals which took into account the views of the Western countries.
171. The goodwill of the USSR and die other socialist countries, however, did not meet with understanding on the part of the Western Powers which demand not disarmament but the establishment of control over continuing armament. Their policy is predicated on the continuing existence of nuclear weapons and they therefore will not agree to measures which might effectively ensure the final elimination of such weapons in the nearest future.
172. This is confirmed by the negative reaction of the Western Powers to the practical and radical measures proposed in the USSR draft and by the draft submitted by the United States delegation. Not only does the United States draft openly call for the preservation of nuclear weapons during the entire process of disarmament but it does not even preclude the existence of such weapons, and consequently the possibility of unleashing a nuclear world war, after the end of the process.
173. Thus, in the actions of the Western Powers there has always been a profound contradiction between words and deeds. On the one hand, at the conference table their delegations have expatiated on their readiness to disarm but, on the other hand, they have submitted drafts which cannot lead to disarmament. At the same time the United States and the other NATO countries continued to Intensify the arms race. This was most clearly manifested in the United States Government’s decision to conduct high-altitude clear tests in the atmosphere.
174. The spring meeting of the NATO Council was devoted to the question of a further increase in armaments, particularly nuclear weapons, and this was also die aim of the increased military allocations in the budgets of the United States, the federal Republic of Germany and other members of Western military groupings.
175. This being so, the General Assembly must give thorough consideration to the question of disarmament and seek a solution to this unsatisfactory state of affairs.
176. The way to such a Solution is indicated in the new proposal made here by the USSR delegation during the general debate, in which the USSR Government again made great concessions in order to meet the position of the Western Powers.
177. This proposal was that, during the first stage of the process of the elimination of the means of delivering nuclear weapons, as a special exception, the Soviet Union and the United States should be allowed to retain a specified number of inter-continental, anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles.
178. In our view, there is now nothing to prevent agreement on the elimination of the means of delivering nuclear weapons and of military bases in foreign territories during the first stage. This offers new prospects for progress in the disarmament negotiations.
179. In this connexion, we consider it important for the General Assembly at its seventeenth session to concern itself seriously with the economic programme for disarmament, as the USSR Government, has proposed [A/5233]. Much has already been said about the untold benefits that general and complete disarmament would bring to mankind. It would not only provide a stable basis for the development of friendly relations and co-operation among States, but would also bring many advantages to all countries by releasing vast economic resources for rapid development in al spheres and particularly for a substantial expansion of assistance to the economically less developed countries.
180. Although the question of the cessation of nuclear tests has long been ripe for solution, here again no progress was achieved in the past year. The responsibility for this rests- entirely upon the Western powers, which not only did nothing to promote agreement, but on the contrary made it more difficult. After all, the United States Government has carried out over seventy nuclear weapons tests since September 1963.
181. In these circumstances, the USSR Government had no choice but to take the necessary measures to strengthen and consolidate the defence-capacity and security of the USSR and the other socialist countries and by the same token to strengthen universal peace.
182. In order to justify their negative stand on an agreement on the cessation of all nuclear tests, the Western Powers continue to insist on the need for international control. In the present circumstances, however, reliable control over the observance of the relevant agreement can be ensured by using the means of control which are available to the Individual States. The joint memorandum of the eight non-aligned States, which we regard as a suitable basis for the conclusion of an agreement, also proceeds on this assumption.
183. Accordingly, an agreement on the cessation of nuclear weapons tests should not encounter any technical obstacles with regard to control; all that Is needed to eliminate nuclear weapons is goodwill on the part of the Western Powers.
184. There can be no doubt that the present serious international situation could be, improved even before the attainment of general and complete disarmament by taking certain specific measures which would strengthen mutual confidence among States and would create favourable conditions for general and complete disarmament.
185. The urgency of such measures was already confirmed at the sixteenth session of. the General Assembly, when the overwhelming majority of member States advocated the establishment of a denuclearized zone in Africa. At the very beginning of the present general debate [1125th meeting] the Brazilian delegation proposed that a similar zone should be established in Latin America.
186. It would be particularly desirable to take similar measures in Europe, where two world wars have broken out in the recent past and, where considerable armed forces are now Concentrated.
187. The proposal of the Polish People's Republic, which was fully supported by the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, to establish a zone free from nuclear weapons in Central Europe and the proposal for signing a non-aggression pact by the countries parties to the Warsaw Treaty and the parties to NATO, as well as other proposals, are particularly significant in this connexion.
188. In our opinion, an exceptionally timely proposal is the one submitted here by the USSR delegation [A/5232] to the effect that the seventeenth session of the General Assembly should consider the question of Condemnation of propaganda favouring preventive nuclear war and should adopt a resolution providing for effective means of attaining this objective.
189. At a time when enormous stockpiles of the most destructive weapons have been accumulated in the world, incitement to preventive nuclear war by United States officials represents a direct threat to international peace.
190. Incitement to makings the first nuclear strike constitutes, a gross violation of the obligation of States Members of-the United Nations to refrain from the threat or use of force in their international relations. Accordingly, the United Nations is in duty bound resolutely to condemn such incitement.
191; Much would be done to neutralize the dangers arising out of propaganda for a preventive nuclear war If all States possessing nuclear weapons were to undertake not to be the first to use them. In our opinion, no State which does not pursue aggressive aims can refuse to make such a commitment,
192. The other measures proposed in the resolutions submitted by the USSR would also be an, important contribution to efforts directed towards averting a so-called preventive nuclear war. Above all, we regard as extremely important the provision under which the General Assembly would condemn as one of the most dangerous forms of war propaganda statements calling for military revenge and for a revision of the national frontier established in Europe as result of the Second World War.
193. The Czechoslovak delegation feels obliged to dwell in some detail on the question of the serious threat to peace constituted by the militarism and revanchism of Western Germany and also by the entirely abnormal situation in West Berlin,
194. Whereas all the principles of the Potsdam Agreement have been consistently applied in “the territory of the German Democratic Republic and whereas that country is the first really democratic and peace-loving State in the history of Germany. Western Germany has evolved in quite a different direction. With the assistance of the Western Powers, the rule of monopolists, militarist and revanchists has been revived and established in the Federal Republic of Germany.
195. Whenever we have drawn attention to this fact, the representatives of the Western Powers have assured us that there is no cause for alarm and that the Federal Republic of Germany is under the control of NATO; but what are the real facts of the matter?
196. Before Western Germany became a member of NATO, representatives of the Federal Republic of Germany had declared that the German would never take up arms again. But after its admission to NATO they changed their tune and are constantly making requests for more arms. Appetite grows with eating, as they say.
197. And now the militarists are feverishly creating a professional, fully armed, aggressive West German army of 380,000 men. In the near future, this army will be increased to half a million; and then to 750,000 men. This army is not "under the control" "of its Atlantic allies, but on the contrary, increasing numbers of former "Bundeswehr" officers are occupying key positions in NATO and are using, them to further the imperialistic interests of the West German monopolies. Why, twenty generals and admirals, including many war criminals, now hold positions on the NATO staff. The "Bundeswehr" has set up key outposts — supply bases and air force bases — in a number of Western States. Through the North Atlantic Treaty the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany has obtained from the Western Powers what Hitler's Germany was unable to obtain even by war. At the present time, it is concentrating oil obtaining control over nuclear weapons under the North Atlantic Treaty.
198. We have not the slightest doubt concerning the real intentions behind these demands of the West German Government.
199. The experience acquired by the peoples at great cost during two world wars caused by aggressive German imperialism and militarism shows most convincingly what would be the consequences of alloying nuclear weapons to fall into the hands of the "Bundeswehr". This is becoming plain to many people in the West, who express their justified anxiety lest the Federal Republic of Germany, through aggressive action taken at its own risk, should involve its allies in a war. with the countries of the Warsaw Treaty.
200. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany is opposing all efforts to relax International tension and, in particular, general and complete disarmament. It had not accepted the outcome of the Second World War and is trying to change that situation. To this day, it has not repudiated the shameful Munich Agreement, refuses to recognize the frontiers lawfully determined by the Potsdam Agreement, advances revanchist claims and does not hesitate to threaten its neighbours.
201. Hatred against the peoples of other countries is once again being fomented among the population of the Federal Republic of Germany. The idea of revenge for the Second World War is being particularly fostered by revanchist organizations, whose activities are being financed on an increasingly generous scale by the Government Of the Federal Republic of Germany.
202. Of late, the Federal Government has been trying, to disguise its revanchist claims by such slogans as "the right to a fatherland" and "the right to self-determination".
203. Minister Seebohm again claimed this right in connexion with the so-called "Sudeten German days" at Frankfurt-am-Main in June this year, precisely on the twentieth anniversary of the barbarous annihilation of the village of Lidice by the German nazis. The same Seebohm, as well as a number of other leading officials of the Federal Republic of Germany, has stated on a number of occasions that the German land to which they lay claim embraces the territories of Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Soviet Union and other States.
204. They use the "right to self-determination" as a disguise for the aggressive aims of their policy, particularly their ambition to annex the German Democratic Republic, and to change the frontiers of Europe. The West German militarists have not the slightest grounds for claiming that right. The Germans exercised their right to self-determination long ago, when they created two States, the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany. This is a fact which no one can deny.
205. The ruling circles of Western Germany are trying to impose their own aggressive policy against the German Democratic Republic and other socialist States upon the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They are exerting pressure on these countries and, on the basis of the so-called Hallstein doctrine, are trying to dictate to them with which States they may or may not maintain or develop diplomatic and economic relations. At the same time, they actively support other imperialists and colonialists in suppressing national liberation movements. The service rendered to the Western Powers by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany at the time of their aggression in the Near and Middle East will be well remembered. Its participation in the financing of the colonialist war in Algeria is generally known. We are all aware that it supplied the Portuguese colonialists with arms for the extermination of the population of Angola and that West German aircraft were provided for transporting arms to Katanga. There is no need to question whose side the West German Government took in the disputes on Goa and West Irian or to inquire what its attitude is towards the complete abolition of colonialism.
206. It is not surprising that the lines along which the Federal Republic of Germany is developing have aroused justified apprehension throughout the world. After all, the armed conflict on which the West German militarists are relying would involve mankind in a world-wide thermo-nuclear war, which would bring untold suffering to all nations.
207. This danger considerably complicates the already quite abnormal situation prevailing in West Berlin. The Western Powers have turned that city into a NATO military base and are keeping NATO armed forces there under cover of the occupation system. The existence of that "front line city" offers opportunities for fascist lawlessness and a revanchist campaign against socialist countries, and the situation is such that this wide-spread provocative activity may easily lead to a new world conflict.
208. West Berlin was recently the scene of a provocative anti-Czechoslovak revenge-seeking manifestation against which our Government sharply protested,
209. The conversion of West Berlin into a free city would remove the existing danger and would create the best conditions both for the strengthening of peace" and for the peaceful existence of West Berlin's population. Nothing would prevent the people of West Berlin from developing peaceful relations with the outside world or selecting their own social system. These rights would be secured to them under international guarantees. It would of course be essential to respect the sovereignty of the German Democratic Republic, on the territory of which West Berlin is situated and which has, displayed exceptional readiness to go half-way in the matter of solving the problem of communications.
210. The Government and people of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic greatly appreciate the patience of the Soviet Government and the Government of the German Democratic Republic and their tireless efforts to reach an agreed solution for the problem of eliminating the traces of the Second World War.
211. It is; time for the countries of the West at long last to heed the lessons of the past and sign a peace treaty with Germany along with the Socialist countries. The Western countries should come to their senses and realize that they, are unable to control the West German militarist and are being dragged along in the wake of their aggressive policies. They should stop encouraging the West German militarists, and revenge seekers. We well remember what such a policy led to at the time of Munich, the inglorious anniversary of which fell just a few days ago.
212. Our attitude is not the result of hate for the German people; of this, the comprehensive and fruitful links of friendship forged by us with the German Democratic Republic are the best proof.
213. The interests of peace demand the final elimination of the traces of the Second World War by the conclusion of a peace treaty with Germany and the conversion of West Berlin, on this basis, into a free demilitarized city.
214. The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, as the only-country which is a neighbour of both German States has an interest in the rapid and peaceful settlement of the German, question. We should be happy if all the States whose armed forces fought against Hitlerite Germany took part in the signing of a peace treaty with Germany. But if the Western countries do not wish to sign a peace treaty, then the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic will be among those who sign such a treaty with the German Democratic Republic.
215. Recent experience has shown that very complex international problems can and must, also, be solved by negotiation. The agreements concluded this year on Laos and West Irian constitute effective proof of this.
216. One of the principal tasks, on which the United Nations has already been working for a number of years, is that of the liquidation of the colonial system,
217. The President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Antonin Novotny, declared in June 1962: "The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic is entirely and under all circumstances on the side of the peoples which are struggling to free themselves from colonial slavery and of those which have already freed themselves and are now beginning to build up their countries. We salute all the peoples which today are living in freedom and deciding their own destiny; and we desire that they should march towards their future together with all the peoples which are advancing on the road of progress and peace.
218. The Czechoslovak people has followed with deep sympathy, and supported, the seven-year struggle of the Algerian people for its independence. We sincerely rejoice at the victory of the Algerian people, and wish it every success in the building-up of its country. We are convinced that there will develop, between that country and ours, friendly and mutually beneficial ties and many-sided collaboration.
219. The„ Czechoslovak Government likewise views with satisfaction the emergence of the new States — Rwanda, Burundi, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago — which recently secured their independence, and it welcomes their admission to membership in the United Nations.
220. The righteous struggle of friendly Indonesia for the liberation of West Irian has already yielded concrete results, and we hope that the Indonesian people will bring this struggle to a victorious conclusion.
221. Although in their struggle for national liberation the peoples have achieved important successes, the process of the liquidation of colonialism is still by no means at an end.
222. The colonialists are on various pretexts deferring the implementation of the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, and evading the obligations placed upon them by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Brutal colonial repression continues in Angola, Guiana, Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Kenya, Oman, and in the Spanish and other colonies.
223. The General Assembly should insist on the immediate implementation of the Declaration.
224. The danger of neo-colonialism remains a serious problem. The colonizers are trying to maintain and reestablish their positions in those countries of Africa, Asia and, Latin America whose people have already freed themselves from direct colonial rule. For this purpose they are using, for the most part, agreements on so-called military aid and co-operation, which they continue to foist upon the States of these areas. The General Assembly should condemn such a practice, since it contravenes the United Nations Charter.
225. Neo-colonialism hides, in the main, behind the mask of economic aid. Concerning the purpose of this aid, United States Senator Humphrey stated, in the Senate on 15 June 1962, that it " ... is not merely an economic program; it is a political program. Foreign aid is a part of the national security policy of the United States. Foreign aid helps other countries. . .but its essential purpose is to help the United States."
226. Recently, on the occasion of the approval by the United States Congress of the programme of so-called aid for the year 1962/63, official spokesmen said a great deal about the connexion between this aid and the United States foreign policy, and stressed the importance of such aid in the "cold war".
227. The large profits rolling into the. United States every year are proof that this "aid" is far from being as generous and disinterested as the head of the United States delegation has depicted it to us here,
228. The complete liquidation of colonialism is inconceivable without the swift and sound economic development of the newly-created countries.
229. Since the last session of the United Nations General Assembly, we in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic have been carrying on useful discussions with delegations from many African and other countries. We agreed with all our guests that only mutual respect for State sovereignty and mutually advantageous economic co-operation could serve as a firm basis for peaceful and friendly relations between- peoples, that the granting of aid must be guided by the basic needs of the under-developed countries, and that such aid must be subject to no political or military conditions.
230. Proceeding from these principles, Czechoslovakia is helping, so far as it can, the under-developed countries to develop their own resources. With industrialization primarily in view, and to train skilled, workers.
231. The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic is not concerned with the export of capital to wring profits from under-developed countries, Czechoslovak long-term credits in the form of deliveries of machinery and equipment for the development of key branches of industry are .granted at low rates of interest and are repaid by deliveries of raw materials and finished goods from, the under-developed countries. The object is mutually advantageous economic co-operation. The Czechoslovak Government, like the Governments of the other socialist countries, consistently supports the policy of establishing the most extensive economic links with all countries on the basis of equal rights and mutual advantage.
232. This policy was reaffirmed in the "Basic principles for the international socialist division of labour which were adopted at the meeting of representatives of States Members of he- Council of Mutual Economic Assistance in June 1962. From these principles it can clearly be seen that the international socialist division of labour is established with due regard to the "world" division of labour. The principles adopted provide for the creation in the future of conditions for equitable economic co-operation between all countries of the world, and reject the tendency towards the establishment of organized discriminatory groups.
233. In contrast to this, closed politico-economic groups, in which the leading role belongs to the West German monopolists, are being set up in Western Europe as the economic basis of military pacts. Such "integration" leads to greater domination over the workers international capitalist monopolies, to the dictating of orders by the stronger to the weaker partners to the conversion of the economically underdeveloped members of such groups into mere subsidiaries for the supply of raw materials, and to the intensification of discrimination against other countries remaining outside the "common market".
234. It is time for the United Nations to make a detailed study of the harmful effects of such " Integration", and to promote the removal of every obstacle to the all-round development of world trade and to extensive international economic collaboration. The time has come to convene an international conference on trade, as proposed by the Soviet Union [A/5219].
235. Such a conference should work out principles for the development of trade on the basis of equality and the absence of discrimination, and should set up an international trade organization embracing all countries of the world.
236. The United Nations should promote the peaceful coexistence of all States and their mutual cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. These principles are reflected in the Charter of the United Nations and in a number of other important international documents, and impose obligations on all members of the international community. One reason why implementation of these" principles has been hindered is the fact that, so far, they have not been properly worked out. Since one duty of the United Nations is to promote the development of international law and its codification, the General Assembly should set to work on the codification of the principles of peaceful coexistence.
237. Unfortunately, the United Nations is very backward in discharging its duties in the matter of the establishment and development of peaceful coexistence. The main reason for this is that the profound changes which in recent years have taken place in the world, and have. fundamentally modified the balance of forces in a sense favourable to peace, are not reflected in the Organization. Although the, membership of the United Nations has considerably increased, the structure of a number of its organs and the filling of posts in it do not reflect the existence of the three main groups of States. For this reason: the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, in the interest, of strengthening the United Nations, will continue to strive for uniform representation of the three main groups of States in the United Nations organs and posts.
238. It is absolutely inadmissible and absurd that for thirteen years, as a result of the United States obstruction, the place of China in the United Nations has been occupied by people who represent no one. Without the participation of the People's Republic of China, the United Nations cannot perform its functions. The: restoration of the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations, and the expulsion of the Chiang Kai-shek puppets from all its organs, are long overdue.
239. It is in the Interests of the United Nations that the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as other States, should become Members of the Organization.
240. The prestige of the United Nations is being harmed by the fact that the United States is using it as a cover for the military occupation of South Korea. It is essential to end this situation, which is a constant source of tension in that part of the world. We therefore support the Soviet proposal for the withdrawal of foreign armed forces from South Korea.
241. Much has recently been said about the financial crisis of the United Nations, in this connexion, the Western Powers are trying to make all Member States bear the cost of armed aggression in Egypt and the Congo. But it is a generally recognized principle of the international community that losses and expenses incurred in respect of illegal activities are borne by those responsible for such activities. Accordingly, the expenses of the so-called "United Nations campaigns" in Egypt and the Congo must be borne by the aggressors, and not by other Member States which opposed the aggression.
242. The Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic denounces all such attempts, and resolutely opposes the inclusion of the expenses for these campaigns in the regular budget of the United Nations. In all seriousness, we draw attention to the fact that such a step might result in a direct threat to the Organization's continued existence.
243. With regard to the solution of the Congo problem we still believe it to be essential, in the interests of the Congolese people and of the strengthening of international peace, that the United Nations should reject all plans for partitioning the Congo, which directly conflict with the decisions of the Security Council and the General. Assembly, and that it should: take decisive measures against all violators of the Congo's unity.
244. The Czechoslovak people is completely absorbed in the creative and constructive work which has led its socialist country to unprecedented prosperity. At the present time, in connexion with preparations for the twelfth congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, a general, State-wide open debate is taking place in our country. Such a discussion would be unthinkable in a capitalistic society. But our people is thus making maximum use of the achievements of its socialist, democracy, and is discussing the prospects for the further development of our socialist society.
245. It is therefore natural for us to be deeply interested in the strengthening of peace and the development, of international co-operation. "We are a peaceful country" stated Antonin Novotny, the President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, on 1 May 1962, "and that is why we desire peace for all peoples and hope that they can build their lives in conditions of peace.
246. In the future, as hitherto, we shall continue to pursue the policy of peaceful coexistence, which is the basis of our foreign policy. We shall bend all our efforts to the task of averting the danger of war and securing the triumph of peace for all time.