General Assembly Session 51 meeting 8

The President

The Assembly will first hear an address by the President of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations the President of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, His Excellency Mr. Kiro Gligorov, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Gligorov (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

It is an honour for me to address the fifty-first session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, confident that it will make yet another positive contribution to the advancement of world peace and cooperation among nations and countries of the world.

The current international political and security situation is burdened with many crises, cases of blatant violation of international law, the uncontrolled hoarding of arms, upsets of the ecological balance, disrespect for human rights, widespread international terrorism, and tensions in economic and social development. Such developments have confronted the United Nations with the need to reform its system in order to preserve its ability to carry out its functions. This is especially so in the case of the plans that should determine global development in the twenty-first century, alleviate existing gaps in the economic and social development of countries and regions, and advance world peace.

The subject of the expansion of the Security Council is undoubtedly one that should receive priority treatment at this session. In view of the changed structure of the international community and the growing role of the Security Council in recent years, and of the need for further democratization of the decision-making process as regards global peace and security, the conditions for expansion seem ripe. The Republic of Macedonia is actively taking part in the activities of the Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council. We believe that the proposal for including the Federal Republic of Germany and Japan as permanent members of the Security Council, as well as the expansion of the number of rotating members is realistic and deserves special attention. At the same time, other constructive and complementary approaches in circulation should also be kept in mind. If necessary, the Republic of Macedonia is prepared to make an individual proposal in this respect with a view to overcoming any possible delay in the resolution of this issue.

Wishing to make a constructive and active contribution to the work of the United Nations, the Republic of Macedonia has submitted its candidacy for rotating membership in the Security Council for the 1998-1999 term. We are convinced that our demeanour during and following the dissolution of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the constructive and peaceful policy we have upheld, our acknowledged position as a factor of stability in the Balkans, our commitment to its Europeanization and our activities within the United Nations to date will be a sufficient basis and guarantee for securing the support of United Nations Members for our candidacy. I wish to assure them that we will fully justify the confidence they bestow.

From the very onset of our independence, the Republic of Macedonia, the only one of the former Yugoslav republics to achieve independence peacefully, has distinguished itself as an example of a country whose leverage in the international community and whose foreign policy are founded on consistent respect for the principles of the United Nations, a readiness to cooperate with neighbouring and other countries and to resolve all open issues in a peaceful manner on the basis of mutual respect, the inviolability of borders and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

Led by these commitments, the Republic of Macedonia submitted two resolutions for good-neighbourly relations among the Balkan countries. They were sponsored by more than 30 countries and adopted unanimously, with the aim of undertaking measures and preventive action that will create a stable zone of peace and cooperation in the Balkans by the end of the year 2000. In accordance with the resolutions, the Republic of Macedonia will be the host of a high-level international meeting of the Balkan countries in January next year, dedicated to the advancement of stability in the region.

Led by the principles of the United Nations, last year the Republic of Macedonia signed the Interim Accord with the Republic of Greece within the framework of the negotiations held under United Nations auspices. The positive results of this Accord are already evident. We are confident of the prospects for good and friendly relations between our countries and that we will reconcile the remaining differences.

The level of democratization we have achieved, our reforms aimed at adapting the economy to market mechanisms, and our high human-rights standards confirm our intentions of becoming fully integrated into international and regional economic and security structures. Today, the Republic of Macedonia is a full-fledged member of the Council of Europe, the oldest European political organization, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It is a partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's "Partnership for Peace". It has also concluded a cooperation agreement with the European Union, with prospects for closer association and membership in the Union.

The peace-keeping forces of the United Nations that comprise the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in the Republic of Macedonia have set the precedent for the United Nations successful involvement in the concept of preventive diplomacy. They have clearly demonstrated the justification and merit of this concept. We have a very high regard for the role that UNPREDEP plays in the preservation of peace and security in the Republic of Macedonia and the region. Consequently, and in view of the existing and potential threats to peace in the region, we have already requested an extension of the UNPREDEP mandate for an additional six months.

The region in which my country is situated, the Balkans, is one of the most sensitive in Europe. It is presently in the midst of the so-called "post-Dayton" era encompassing the process of bringing to life the fragile peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the normalization of relationships among countries and the opening of prospects for development and cooperation in the region. In this context, the Republic of Macedonia, as a peaceful country oriented towards Europe, remains steadfast in its policy, especially in terms of resolving the economic and social problems it is facing as a country in transition and particularly with regard to the rights of national minorities as a precondition not only for democratization and security in Macedonia, but also for wider security in the southern Balkans. The Republic of Macedonia has opted for the model of respect for human and minority rights and for the implementation of international standards pertaining to the rights of national minorities. This is guaranteed by the firm provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia and through its legislative and political practice. We remain deeply convinced that, in the ethnically inter-mixed Balkans, the guaranteed rights of national minorities are the most important long-term factor for stable peace and cooperation. This is why we have proposed the idea of a comparative study regarding national- minority rights in the Balkans that will enable much more efficient action to be taken by such international institutions as the OSCE, the Council of Europe and most certainly the United Nations.

Allow me to conclude my address by expressing my conviction that a vision of the world in the twenty-first century as one of peace, democracy and well-being will prompt all of us and the United Nations to act with persistence and determination. It is my hope that the decisions and the direction set out by this year's General Assembly will be a step towards that goal.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the President of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the statement he has just made.