unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/03/89)
relations with Israel. The international community should participate in an effort to rehabilitate the Palestinian refugee camps in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. "We call on the Palestinian Arab population in Judea, Samaria and Gaza", he said, "to cease acts of terrorism and violence, and we announce our readiness to hold free democratic elections so they can choose their representatives for negotiations with Israel on an interim agreement and eventually on the terms of a permanent settlement." There was no alternative way to move the Middle Eastern peace process forward. Rejection of that initiative was synonymous with rejecting progress towards peace. "We call on all nations to support Israel's peace initiative", he went on to say, "and we call on the Arab world to respond favourably to it. This is not the time to attempt to wring concessions from Israel that relate to the permanent settlement. Our immediate objective must be to put an end to violence and to get negotiations going. Puting the cart before the horse can only stall the process itself." If the representatives of the Palestinian Arab population in Judea, Samaria and Gaza would come to the negotiating table cognizant not only of the rights and aspirations of the population that would have freely chosen them, but also aware of Israel's rights and legitimate concerns, there was an excellent chance that negotiations would lead to agreement. Moreover, the democratic experience, not prevalent in the Middle East as yet, would no doubt serve as an example to all the nations of the area, he said. PRINCE MOHAMED BOLKIAH, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam, said it was encouraging to note that the international situation had changed bringing a new attitude to solving conflicts; there was now a more conciliatory trend. It was a sad fact, he said further, that the negotiation of disputes did not always guarantee complete peace and stability. In a number of cases, while negotiations had taken place, violent hostilities or rivalry between the parties concerned continued, and so hindered a comprehensive solution. This was true of the Iran-Iraq conflict, Afghanistan, the Middle East, South Africa and Kampuchea. The Palestinian problem too remained a matter of great concern to the international community. Israel still continued to pursue its aggressive policy and refused to recognize the PLO leadership. "Such a negative attitude, especially towards the convening of an international conference, will only lead to the escalation of violence and fighting in the occupied territories", he stated. He welcomed the efforts of the League of Arab States, through the Tripartite Commission, to mediate in the Lebanese conflict Further, he regretted that the recent international conference in Paris did not succeed in bringing about a comprehensive settlement of the problem of Kampuchea. Regarding the situation in Kampuchea, he said the unilateral withdrawal of the Vietnamese troops would not guarantee peace and stability, unless there was an answer to the question of the provisional or interim authority, from which the process of national reconciliation and assurances of the observance of the peace process should evolve. "At the Paris conference, the parties concerned did not speak the language of reconciliation; rather suspicion and rivalry predominated", he stated. The lack of success should be attributed as much to the absence of political will and unwillingness to compromise, as to failure to subordinate sectional interests to greater national interests. "It is vital that we do not abandon that commitment to finding a peaceful comprehensive settlement", he concluded. The President, JOSEPH N. GARBA (Nigeria), then brought to the Assembly's attention a letter he had received from the representative of Guinea-Bissau that called for the urgent consideration of a draft resolution on the agenda item dealing with the apartheid policies of South Africa. Mr. GARBA said the draft resolution, the text of which would be circulated later in the day, would be considered tomorrow morning. YOUSEF BIN ALAWI BIN ABDULLAH, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of (Oman), said that with the easing of formerly strained relations between the forces of East and West and, in particular, between the two super-Powers, a global dialogue had been instituted so that the message of peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes had begun to make its presence felt from Kampuchea to Afghanistan and from the Arabian Gulf to southern Africa. That positive climate and the international momentum generated by the beginning of the end of polarization opened up new prospects that must be sustained by one and all and by all available means. The momentum produced by the global dialogue, he said, gave hope to the peoples of the Gulf region for the consolidation of peace and co-operation. Under the auspices of the Secretary-General, the negotiations between Iraq and Iran on the implementation of Security Council resolution 598 were continuing. The only provision of that resolution implemented so far was that requiring the commitment of the two parties to a cease-fire. Oman was aware both parties faced difficulties and that each of them had compelling grounds for adhering to its own viewpoint but believed that the need to achieve peace must be the paradigm for the thinking of the two sides. Oman believed that it was * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) --- Patt Haring | United Nations | FAX: 212-787-1726 patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | BBS: 201-795-0733 patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange | (3/12/24/9600 Baud) -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-