Uzbekistan, 1996

Let me express my appreciation for the honour

of addressing the Assembly. On behalf of the Government

and people of the Republic of Uzbekistan, I offer my

sincerest congratulations to Ambassador Razali Ismail of

Malaysia on his election as President of the fifty-first

session of the General Assembly. I am sure that his

presidency will enable us successfully to solve many of

the urgent issues on the international agenda. I also take

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this opportunity to extend our appreciation and gratitude to

Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, President of the historic

fiftieth session of the General Assembly, for his valuable

guidance and personal involvement in the resolution of

issues the world was facing during that period.

We consider the safeguarding of peace and stability in

Central Asia and the sustainable development of the region

as the most important goal of our cooperation with the

United Nations and its specialized agencies. In this context,

I would like to outline a number of problems and to make

several proposals.

First, regarding regional security, we are of the view

that we need to move through regionalism towards the

global: global peace can be achieved through stability in the

various regions of the world. Regional conflicts are

increasingly the direct source of such dangerous challenges

and threats as terrorism and violence, the illicit arms trade

and drugs trafficking. That is why the main focus of

Uzbekistan’s initiatives aimed at ensuring security in the

Central Asian region is finding ways to settle the conflict

in Afghanistan and to stabilize the situation in Tajikistan.

One of the most important elements of these initiatives

is an embargo on arms deliveries to Afghanistan. We

welcome the start of a discussion of this problem in the

Security Council and support proposals for a comprehensive

approach and for the convening of an international

conference — where, in our view, the main role should be

played by the United Nations. Halting arms deliveries to

Afghanistan is an indispensable condition for any peace

process. An embargo does not mean just any sanctions

against Afghanistan; it has to be directed towards those who

continue to supply weapons to the area of conflict. The

inability of Afghanistan’s forces to control its borders

requires efforts on the part of the international community

to ensure that arms deliveries are ended.

I would like to underline particularly that the Republic

of Uzbekistan, more than any other nation in the world,

seeks to return to age-old traditional relations of friendship,

cooperation and mutual trust with neighbouring

Afghanistan. This is the only aim guiding us in our

initiatives to promote peace in the Islamic State of

Afghanistan. We want Afghanistan to be a stable,

indivisible State, open to the outside world for the sake of

progress and prosperity. I take this opportunity to appeal

once again to the Secretary-General, and to the Presidents

of the Security Council and the General Assembly to do

their utmost to resolve the Afghan conflict, which poses a

serious threat not only to regional security but also to for

global security.

We continue to believe that Central Asia has its own

characteristics; the positive or negative development of

events there can be a catalyst for positive changes or a

destructive factor affecting the situation far beyond the

region.

Secondly, we must enter the twenty-first century

with a new vision of questions of peace and security in a

rapidly changing world. The promotion of world peace is

accompanied today by intensive debates and disputes on

the expansion of the membership of various international

bodies and on models for comprehensive world security

in the twenty-first century.

While welcoming these aspirations, we must note

that each sovereign country in this multi-polar world has

the right to decide for itself, in accordance with its

national interests, and with its regional identity taken into

consideration, whether or not to enter a given union,

irrespective of the position of more powerful countries.

There is no place for domination or monopoly on the part

of other, more powerful, countries in resolving this

problem.

Thirdly, as regards our position in relation to the

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), we consider

that the CIS countries can successfully cooperate within

the framework of the Commonwealth on a multilateral

and bilateral basis. At the same time, we believe that the

CIS cannot be treated as a unit under international law. It

is unacceptable to let the CIS be transformed into a

political or indeed a military-political bloc. Otherwise, the

world community will inevitably slide back down into

global antagonisms and confrontation. For Uzbekistan,

this is fundamentally unacceptable.

Fourthly, Uzbekistan continues to support the

complete elimination of nuclear weapons and views as

historic the decision to conclude the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, adopted under the auspices of

the United Nations, and the beginning of the signature

process of the Treaty. We consider this event to be a

most important stage in liberating humanity from the

threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

For our part, the relevant work is being carried out

to establish a nuclear-free zone in Central Asia within the

international non-proliferation system. We believe that the

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initiative of the President of Uzbekistan will soon find more

detailed interest in the Security Council.

Fifthly, I would like once again to draw the attention

of Member States to ecological problems, whose

dimensions go beyond State borders. I would especially like

to say a word about the problem of the Aral Sea. There

have already been a great number of scientific studies and

international conferences, including several on the

sustainable development of the Aral Sea countries.

However, to our great disappointment, we do not see any

movement from statements to practical deeds. I would like

to note that Uzbekistan supports and considers as timely

Great Britain’s proposal on the adoption of a special

declaration condemning terrorism in all its forms.

For a more effective functioning of United Nations

machinery in all areas of activity, we consider it necessary

to reform a number of United Nations organs, including the

Security Council. This is in line with today’s realities. The

geo-strategic balance of power raises the question of the

expansion of the number of permanent members of the

Security Council. We are convinced that such States as

Germany and Japan today are fully equipped to be

permanent members of the Security Council.

Uzbekistan stands for the constructive reform of the

United Nations. In this context, together with other States,

including Italy, whose proposals deserve serious attention,

we express our sincere desire to ensure that the United

Nations is a reliable instrument for maintaining universal

peace and stability.