A/36/PV.60 General Assembly

My delegation was. and remains, of the opinion that the inclusion of the item under discussion in the agenda of this session. in spite of the express opposition of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, violates paragraph 7 of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations, which prohibits any inter- ference by the Organization in matters that come within the domestic jurisdiction of any Member State. My dele- gation deplores the fact that this year once again the Gen- eral Assembly is allowing itself to be drawn into this de- bate, which cannot help to diminish tensions in the region or in the world. 2. The :nternal situation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has moved rapidly towards normalization, es- pecially in the course of the past two years, according to objective testimony provided by many foreign observers. Contrary to certain tendentious propaganda, the situation has very much improved, and this positive trend is strengthening day by day. Many new achievements have been recorded by that country in maintaining public order and security, in strengthening the political and social sys- . tern, in bringing about the recovery and development of the economy and cultlire, in extending the systems of ed- ucation and of public health and in raising the standard of living of the working people. A living demonstration of this highly encouraging process is the establishment of the National Fatherland Front, within which are fraternally united the political and social organizations representing the different nationalities, religions and sectors of the people throughout the country. This important event is one more demonstration of the Afghan people's great unity and their deep resolve to march boldly forward along the path which they have chosen since the revolu- tion of April 1978, to build a new society based on free- dom, justice and progress, in conformity with their age- old aspirations and their national genius. 3. The Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has on many occasions made public its for- eign policy of peace, non-alignment and peaceful coexis- tence and has ceaselessly undertaken constructive efforts to normalize i~s relations with neighbouring countries and NEW YORK to make a continuIng contribution to the establisnment of peace and stability in the region. The Afghan people could have made even greater progress in its task of building tlie nation and the promotion of relations of friendship and co-operation with other States; that sta- bilized domestic situation of rapid and peaceful develop- ment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan could have had an even greater impact on the peace and stability of the region. if the Afghan people and its Governme.nt had not up to the present been obliged to face armed in- tervention and acts of aggression of various kinds by the imperialists, hegemonists and other reactionary forces. 4. These activities that challenge the independence and the sovereignty of the Afghan people date back to the time immediately following the victorious revolution of April 1978, and even before that. As was very clearly demonstrated at the 58th meeting by Mr. Zarif of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, these activities have not ceased since then and have intensified into a veritable undeclared war. Armed attacks are perpetrated against Afghan territory by mercenaries trained. equipped, fi- nanced and commanded by foreigners in camps located in Pakistan. Political, economic and diplomatic pressures are being exercised, and a vast plan of psychological warfare is being waged from different capitals against the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan and its friends. Since the beginning of this y~ar that undeclared war has been held up as the official policy of the Government of the United States of America. 5. In this part of South-West Asia more than anywhere else the collusion between the American imperialists and the Chinese hegemonists is of the closest and most harm- ful nature and would constitute a grave threat to interna- tional peace and security were it not for the lucid, firm and calm policy of the socialist community and the great vigilance of countries and forces sincerely committed to detente. In this context, the presence of a limited con- tingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, at the request of the lawful Government of that country and on the: basis of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Co- operation betweenihe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, is only maintained to help the Government and people of Afghanistan to face that undeclared war. to defend the in- dependence and territorial integrity of their country. That presence. which is not a threat to any third country and which is a matter for the two States concerned alone to decide upon in full sovereignty. is fully warranted and entirely legitimate from the standpoint of law and interna- tional ethics. . 6. Clearly, the policy of intervention and aggression of the United States in collusion with China against the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, together with their warmongering and hegemonic policy and their global and regional strategies. constitutes the essential cause of the current tension at present surrounding Afghanistan. It di- rectly threatens the independence and security not only of that sovereign and non-aligned country but also of ether 8. It is on the basil of these facts and the aims and objectives of the Organization that the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam has given its full support to the just and reasonable position of the Democratic Republic of Afghamstan and reaffirms once again its firm opposition to any interference from any source in matters falling within the national sovereign competence of the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan. By recognizing and re- specting the sacred and inalienable right of the people of Afghanistan to determine and carry out its own course of development-which it has done since the revolution of April 1978-we shall make our own positive contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region at large. No other course of action is pos- sible. 9. My delegation believes that the correct way to put an end to the present abnormai situation surrounding Afghanistan necessarily involves the cessation of the un- declared war against that country and of all forms of ag- gression against and interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, as well as of any attempts to prevent recog- nition of the decisive role of the Government of the Dem- ocratic Republic of Afghanistan under the aegis of Presi- dent Babrak Karmal. In that spirit, my delegation highly appreciates the seven-point peace programme of the Gov- ernment of the Democratic Rep!lblic of Afghanistan set forth in its statement of May 1980. I It is a realistic pro- gramme for the political.settlement of the situation around Afghanistan created by the policy of intervention and ag- gression practised by the imperialists and hegemonists. In its recent statement of 24 August of this year [see A/36/457] the Government of the Democratic Republic of" Afghanistan reaffirmed that peace plan and put forward detailed proposals with regard to it, clearly reflecting its correct position and its flexible attitude with a view to arriving at the desired political settlement. During his statement in the general debate at the 8th meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Shah Mohammad Dost, made a pressing appeal to his counter- parts from Pakistan and Iran to begiri the negotiations here. 10. Those proposals of the Afghan Government, based on an objective and accurate assessment of the realities of the situation in the region. have pointed to the logical and reasonable way ol arriving tat a poHtical solution, aimed on the one hand at the nomlalization of relations between Afghanist8n and the neighbouring countries and on the other at reliable international guarantees of the definitive cessation of armed and other intervention in the internal affairs of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. This would in turn eliminate the reasons for the presence of the 11. In connection with agreements among the countries of the region the statement of 24 August 198 I proposed a broad range of options for negotiations with a view to normalizing relations between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran on the basis of universally recognized principles: that is. respect for the independence and sovereignty of each State. the development of relations of friendly co-opera- tion and good-neighbourliness and, in par~icular, non-in- terference in each other's internal affairs and agreement nor to allow the territories of one State to be used for purposes of armed aggression and other hostile activities aimed at the two others. 12. The Afghan Government has also welcomed the par- tlcipation in the negotiations of the Secretary-General and his Personal Representative. My delegation is pleased to note that such participation by the Secretary-General or his representative, made effective by their discussions with the authorities of the countries concerned. as men- tioned in the report of the Secretary-General [A/36/653), is an encoaraging beginning of a diplomatic process which could lead to fruitful negotiations among those countries. 13. In his statement of 31 August 1981 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of my own country expressed, on behalf of the Government ..its full support for the statement of 24 August of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. which reflects goodwill and is highly constructive. and its hope that that logical and reasonable proposal will be welcomed positively by the countries concerned, if they truly wish to contribute to the maintenance of peace and security in the region". 14. In accordance with its consistent policy of peace, which always promotes the settlement of international dis- putes by peaceful negotiations. the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has on many occa- sions affirmed its willingness to discuss the international aspects of the situation around Afghanistan and its unre- served support for the proposals in this connection of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. 15. The Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is convinced that the realization of the initiatives for peace of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. sup- ported by all the countries throughout the world that cher- ish peace and justice. will open the )Nay to relaxing ten- sion in South-West Asia and will lay the foundations for I progress towards a just and equitable solution which will guarantee lasting peace. stability and security for all the countries of the region while respecting the legitimate in- terests of all. and which is consistent with the deepest aspirations of the peoples of those countries and the higher interests of peace and security in Asia and throughout the world. talk~ between the Democmtic Republic of Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. thus promoting the negotiation process leading to a just and reasonable political settle- ment of the Afghanistan situation. or at least to do noth- ing which might hinder that process. If it directs its efforts in that way th~ United Nations will be making a worthy contribution to the great work of bringing peace and security to that region and the world. in accordanc;e with its noble piincipies and purposes and also in the in- terest of its own prestige and au!hority in the world. 17. Mr. ;V~lZNER (Poland): The General Assembly is now discussing an unwanted question-unwanted because one of the Members of the United Nations family. the Member most directly concerned. namely the Democmtic Republic of Afghanistan. let us know once again at the beginning of this session 14th meetingI through Mr. Zarif that the so-called Afghan question should not be included in the agenda of this session. Other delegations. too. were opposed to its inclusion in the agenda and to any consid- eration 'of it by the General Assembly. rightly arguing that such a course of action could not but create further obsta- cles to the settlement of the Afghanistan question. My delegation fully shares such views and is deeply con- vinced that only a regional solution taking into account the position of the Afghan Government can lead to a last- ing settlement of the contlict threatening international se- curity in the region and in the world at large. 18. Poland is vitally interested in the consolidation of peace. the strengthening of international security and the development of frUitful and mutually beneficial co-opera- tion among nations. That is why we have always taken part in efforts aimed at reducing and extinguishing hot- beds of tensions and contlicts. Such a view was retlected in the decisions of the ninth extraordinary Congress of the Polish United Workers' ?drty last July. That is the posi- tion we and our Warsaw Treaty allies have many times reiterated. . 19. My delega'lion regrets very much that the construc- tive proposals of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan concerning a political settlement of the situation in this region of Asia. especially those of 14 May 1980 regard- ing the nornlalization of relations between Afghanistan, ?dkistan and Iran. as well as the most recent ones of '4 August of this year have failed so far to receive a posit .. response. It is with profound concern that we see the ~la' mate of tension persisting around the question of Afghanistan as well as attempts to use this question to 20. An equitable and peaceful settlement of the situation in South-West Asia should in our considered opinion be based on respect for international law as well as on the existing political realities. As indicated in the statement of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan of 24 August 1981 ··The securing of com- plete and reliable cessation of armed and 3:ly other inter- vention in the domestic affairs of the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan and the creation of conditions making impossible the recurrence of such interf~rence in the future must be the main aim and basic content of the political settlement". IA/36/457, annex, para. I). 21 . In this connection we cannot but strongly disap- prove of acts of aggression and other form:; of interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, which in turn m j only prolong the tension and postpone full normalization. In fact. such actions cannot change the existing realities in Afghanistan. We also disapprO\':;: of the actions aimed at the i50lation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan on the international scene and the attempts to use the so- called Afghani~tan question for political and propaganda purposes. 22. In the proposals of the Government of the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan that I have just mentioned we can find SLfficient proof of the goodwill of that Gov- ernment and 01 a reali'itic approach to the solution of the problems involved. I have now in mind specifically the concrete proposal for reliable international guarantees with regard to the cessation and the non-recurrence of armed or any other interference in Afghan affairs. Con- stituting an integral part of a political settlement, such guarantees in our view should include respect for the sov- ereignty. independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and of its non-aligned status. We can only welcome in this connection the readiness expressed by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to reaffirm its loyalty to the policy of peace and non- alignment. its desire to develop friendly ties with all countries. and first of all with its neighbours. It is essen- tial that such international guarantees as well ~s the solu- tion of all other questions~ touching upon Afghanistan's interests be worked out with the participation of the Gov- ernment of that country. 23. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan assured the Assembly two months ago from this very rostrum that his Government did not object to direct bilateral or trilateral negotiations with the Governments of ?dkistan and Iran aimed at the normalization of relations with them, negotiations to be attended by the Secretary-General or his ~presentative. My delegation views such a development as an important step towards the final settlement of the problem and as a good example of the constructive involvement of the Organization in the peaceful settlement of disputes as stipulated by the Charter. The conclusion of the Secret2rY- General in his report only confirms our conviction in that respect. Such an approach to the settlement of the ques- tion could lead to the final solution of another problem that has been mentioned time and again from this rostrum during the current session of the General Assembly, namely. that of the presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. 25. As for draft resolution A/36/L.15. we can only statc that the resolution adopted on the so-called qucstion of Afghanistan at the thirtY-fifth scssion of the General As- senlbly not only failed' to bring closer a political settle- ment of the situation in Afghanistan but. on the contrary. rendered more difficult \uch a settlement between Afghanistan and its neighbours. We regret to say that. in our view. the draft resolution we have before us cannot serve constructive purposes either. Therefore thc Polish delegation will oppose it. On the other hand. we are de- termined to continue to lend our full support to a genuine political settlement that would ensure peaceful stability ""'d good-neighbourly relations in a region that is so ~ ..portunt for world peace. 26. In conc"'sion. I should like to recall the words of Poland's Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Czvrek. in the general debate at this session. when he said "As timely as ever remain the initiatives of the Government of Afghanistan regardinl! normalization of the situation in South-West A~J:;l. They have our full support." "1111 meeting. para. 142.1 27. Mr. /.BDEL MEGUID (Egypt) (illleqJre1ettion ./i·o/l1 Arabic): ,,'\'rilost two years have elapsed since the emergence of the problem of Afghanistan. In spite of con- tinuou's international efforts aimed at reaching a compre- hensive settlement of that prohlem. it continues to exist. with its political and humanitarian implications. u man- ifestation or the tlagrunt violation by a super-Power of the sovereignty and independence of a small State belonging to the non-aligned movement. It is. further. a manifesta- tion of the rejection of the principles of the Charter and international law. 28. The Soviet armed intcrventi(lfl in the internal affair~ of Afghanistan sets a dangerou~ precedent in the hi~­ tory of international relations which could well incite States to take it upon themselves to intervene militarily in the affairs of neighbouring States if they were. rightlv or wrongly. to feci that the regime in power in a neighbour- ing country happened. not to be in keeping with their na- tional interests. A number of arguments have been put forward in justification of this foreign military interven- tion in the internal affairs of the Afghan people. I shall not try to refute those arguments here. for we know that thev are alt02ether without 102ical or legal foundation. Those who put forward those ~rguments know full well. for there is no such question as whether an invasion is lawful or unlawful. Interference in the internal affairs of States. violation of their sovereignty. oppression and ex- pulsion of peoples are acts which can only be called ille- gal. The international community cannot fail to oppose and condemn them. .30. The great importance atrached to this problem by the if'!ternational community is clearly shown by the con- cern manifested in the United Nations in the course of its treatment of the subject since its emergence in the latter part of 1979. The meetings of the Security Council in January 1980 saw the beginning of United Nations efforts to arrive at a settlement of the problem. It is to be regret- ted that. at the meeting of 9 January 1980 a super-Power used its veto to prevent the adoption of a draft resolution submitted by the non-aligned countries members of the CounciF calling for the immediate withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. That negative position com- pellcd the United Nations to convene an emergency spe- cial session of the General Assemhly to consider the problem. On 14 January 1980. the Assembly adopced res- olution ES-6/2. in which it called for the immediate with- drawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Subse- quently, a resolution was adopted by the Commission on Human Rights. meeting at Geneva on 14 February 1980.-' which rctlected the position of the international commu- nity on this intervention. which amounts to a tlagrant vio- lation of the independence of Afghanistan and of the prin- ciples and provisions of international law and the Charter. .31. The thirty-fifth session of the General Assemblv provided cvidence of the increasing interest of the intermi- tional community in the problem of Afghanistan. as man- ifested by the almost unanimous support for resolution .35.37. of which Egypt was a sponsor. In that resolution the Assembly condemned the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan and called for the immediate and total withdnlwal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. I must not fail to refer to the praiseworthy efforts made by the Sec- retary-General and thl.: important role he has been playing in an uttempt to achieve a political settlement of the prob- lem. 31. Ever since the emergencc of the Afghan problem Egypt has heen in the forefront of countries declaring their solidarity with thc struggling people of Afghanistan and calling for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops fro~l that country. Egypt's present stand reaffinns our earlier position and our resolute and continuing op- position to intervention in the internal uffairs of States. and confirms our support for the right of peoples to free- dom. self-determination and independence. Thi~ position is based on our respect for the rules of international con- duct and the purpose~ and principles of the Chartc:, and international law. 34. In the light of all these considerations Egypt became a sponsor of this draft resolution. There is no doubt that this text, with its moderate tone and important political substance, will enjoy wide support. It should therefore contribute to the restoration of the rights of the Afghan people and to the cause of peace and- security in the re- gion. Egypt was one of the first States to support the just cause of the Afghan people, and it supported the relevant resolutions adopted by the United Nations. as well as the dedaration of the Conference of Ministers for Foreign Af- fairs of Non-Aligned Countries. held at New Delhi in February 1981, which confirmed the position of the non- aligned countries on Afghanistan Isee AI36///6 lIllcl Corr.!]. Egypt wishes to reaffirm its support for those resolutions and to emphasize again the need for the prompt and unconditional withdrawal of Soviet troops from all parts of the territory of Afghanistan in accord- ance with a timetable to be drawn up by the United Na- tions. In addition. all Afghan militants must be able to take part in the quest for a peaceful settlement of the problem. The Afghan people must regain their inalienable right to self-determination free from foreign interference. so that they may enjoy independence. freedom and sov- ereignty over their entire territory. and remain a non- aligned State. 35. The Egyptian delegation believes that the idea of convening an international conference in which all the parties concerned would participate in order to resolve the problem of Afghanistan is worthy of serious considera- tion. 36. The present regime in Afghanistan has no legal in- ternational basis and therefore cannot possibly express the free will of the Afghan people. Proof of that is provided by the fact that the regime is incapable of exercising its sovereignty throughout Afghanistan. since the Muhl{jicll'l'1l control the major part of the country. 37. The events in Afghanistan have been a grim experi- ence, as reflected in the flood of refLU.!ees to nearbv coun- tries. It is time the Members of the United Nation~ shoul- dered their responsibility and their international obligation to help the struggling people of Afghanistan to recover their inalienable rights, in accordance with the Charter. 38. Yesterday we listened to the statement made by the representative of the Afghan regime. We noted his refer- ences to Egypt. and consider these to be a breach of inter- nationally accepted diplomatic practice. It is not new or surprising for the representative of a puppet regime. im- posed on a free people engaged in a struggle against it. to speak as he did. However. the strange thing is that the representative of the Afghan regime claimed that there was an international conspiracy against Afghanistan. He took the liberty of accusing Egypt of being a part of the conspiracy against Afghanistan. He may be right: th~re is a conspiracy against the freedom. independence and sov- ereignty of the Afghan people. Clearly the representative of that regime was anxious to divert attention from events with which we are all familiar. The conspiracy to which he referred is in fact a bilateral one. the puppet regime that he represents being the second party to it. 39. The regime now in power in Afghanistan is one that is rejected and scorned by the entire militant population of Afghanistan. Evidence of this is provided by the re- sistance of the Afghan people. who have had to endure the most terrible hardships. genocide and the slaughter of \'v'omen. children and the aged. Despite all this. the repre- sentative of the Afghan regime has the gall to come here and talk about the high living standards and other benefits that the Afghan people enjoy under the regime that he represents. 40. The support that Egypt gives to the Afghan people derives from our obligations to them on the basis of our common Islamic bond and the fact that we are both mem- bers of the non-aligned movement. The virtually unan- imous support given to the Afghan resistance movement in its efforts to regain freedom and independence for the Afghnn people is a fact that no one can challenge. It is a reality given practical effect in the support given by III Member States to resolution 35/37 as well as in the fact that some 45 countries have chosen to sponsor draft reso- lution A/36/L.15. which is now before the Assembly. Egypt is therefore not alone in supporting the Afghan people. since the great majority of States also supports the Afghan people in their struggle.

This is the second time that at a regular session the General Assembly has dis- cussed the situation in Afghanistan. which continues to be one of the most important issues on its agenda. a problem with far-reaching implications which has deeply shaken not only the peace and stability of the region. but interna- tional peace and security as well. 42. The illegal occupation of Afghanistan continues to threaten the stability of the region and gravely hinders the policy of detente. That illegal occupation has violated the principle that all Members of the United Nations shall re- li'ain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political inde- p~ndence of any Statc. Also. the principle of equal rights and the self-determination of peoples. including the free choice of their own political and social system. and the principle of non-interferencc in the internal affairs of States havc been seriouslv infrinued. Finallv. the events in Afghanistan have resulted in a refugee problem of consid- erable proportions which has created suffering and human 43. There is yet another aspect of the situation in Afghanistan which gives rise to concern going beyond the fate of the people of Afghanistan, important as it is. Aus- tria would have hoped that the new decade of the 1980s would bring about further improvements in the political climate in general. ensuring peace and security in the world and enabling us to concentrate jointly on the solu- tion of urgent global problems. for which an atmosphere of confidence and co-operation is a pre-condition and in which progress depends upon an undisturbed and fruitful dialogue on international relations. The events in Afghanistan have seriously harmed the international cli- mate and therefore our joint search for a political solution of the Afghanistan problem becomes all the more urgent. 44. Over the past two years many constructive proposals have been made which outlined the frame and content of such a political settlement. in line with the relevant deci- sions of the General Assembly and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and of the non- aligned movement especially have assumed a leading role in this issue. The member States of the European Com- munity have sJ.lbmitted a proposal on holding a two-stage conference devoted to the Afghanistan question.J which has a lot of merit and deserves to be seriously discussed. Austria is gratified also that, through the efforts of the Sccretary-Geneml and his Personal Representative for Afghanistan. progress. although limited. has been achieved in initiating negotiations between Afghanistan and Pc.lkistan as an element of a negotiated settlement. The basic content of any political solution of the Afghanistan question has been clearly established. Such a political settlement will have to be based on the preserva- tion of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the right of the Afghan people to deter- mine their political future freely. without force or coer- cion. It will further necessitate the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops and the establishment of an atmo- sphere conducive to negotiation and the search fOr a polit- ical solution. Draft resolution A/36/L.15 rc-emphasizes these elements and Austria will therefore support it. 50. ' The following fundamental requir~ments must be met. in particular. First. the people of Afghanistan. as well as any other formerly oppressed people, have the vested riJ!ht to liberate themselves from the bonds of im- perialist ~md colonialist oppression and to embark on the path of national independence. Secondly. the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. which was founded in imple- mentation of the Afghan people's right to self-determina- tion. has. like anv other State. the fundamental ril!ht to recognition and respect for its sovereignty. Thirdly' like any other State. Afghanistan has the right to defend its democratic achievements and i,s status as a non-ulil!ned country. It has the right to avail itself of the support of other States in the struggle against subversion. aggression and imperialist domination. Fourthly. the undcclared war against the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. as well as all armed and other forms of interference in its internal affairs. is contrarv to international law and must be stopped. And. ti"fthly. the situation created around Afghanistan requires negotiations betwel~n the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and its ncighhouring States. ?c.lkistan and Iran. The Government of the Dcmocratic Re- public of Afghanistan is the legitimate reprcsentutive of its country's interests und thus the negotiating purtner of the , Gm'ernmems of the uforementioned and 4111 other Stutes concerned. 45. In conclusion. let me restate that Austria supports the right of every people to self-determination. We hope that the people of Afghanistan will soon have the oppor- tunity to exercise this basic right. We hope furthermore that in the course of this process the general political cli- mate will be improved and the policy of dialogue and co- operation from which the whole world has benefited will be resumed. 46. Mr. ROSE (German Democratic Republic;: The del- egation of the German Democmtic Republic considers the discussion of the so~called question of Afghanistan to be renewed inadmissible interference in the internal affairs of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Strict obser- vance of the principle of non-interference in internul uf- fairs. as well as of the right of peoples to self-determina- tion. as the basis of peaceful coexistence between States with different social systems has prm'ed one of the essen- 48. We believe that steps aimed at pushing the United Nations into the role of an instrument of interference are not apt to promote the political settlement of international problems. On the contrary. they are bound to hamper such a settlement. 49. The German Democratic Republic has always been one of those States which consistently advocate the settle- ment of international conflicts and disputes by political mean!i. As a member of the Security Council. the Ger- man Democratic Republic has acted accordingly. We hold the view that the situation created around Afghanistan also can be settled only in this way. In this context one fact cannot be denied: in accordance with the Charter and Qther documents of international law the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan enjoys the same rights as any other State Member of the United Nations. Any constructive proposal . for the settlement of the situation around Afghanistan has to be consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter. 51. In the view of the German Democmtic Republic. only thc constructive proposals put forwurd by the Gov- ernment of the Democratic Rep.IJblic of Afghunistan huve met those requirements to dme. The initiutive of the Gov- ernment of the Democratic Republic of Afgh.mistun of 14 May IC)XO provides u reulistic husis for a political settle- ment of the situution around A(!!hanistan. It is only natu- 52. It must be stressed time and again that in its foreign political initiatives the Government of the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan is demonstrating' a high degree of goodwill and flexibility. Its readiness for peaceful coexis- tence with the neighbouring countries is obvious. In its statement of 24 August 1981 the Government of the Dem- ocratic Republic of Afghanistan submitted the generous offer for ". . . the discussion of questions pertaining to the working out of international guarantees being started si- multaneously and conducted parallel with bilateral or trilateral negotiations among Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. At the first stage such a discussion might be con- ducted in the form of informal multilateral consultations and later on at a relevant international forum. " [A/36/457, annex, p. 3.] lv1oreover, it declared its readiness to discuss the interna- tional aspects of the Afghan problem together with the question" of strengthening peace and security in the Gulf region, if an opinion in favour of this prevailed among the potential participants in the discussion of both problems. These are reasonable proposals which take due account of the interests of the neighbouring countries. 53. The avenues towards the settlement of the situation around Afghanistan have been outlined. Given the re- quired political will there is every prospect of success. Obviously, questions concerning the present social and political system in Afghanistan,' the composition of its Government and other internal affairs are not to be dis- cussed. This would be inconsistent with the Charter. However, certain States have submitted proposals the es- sence of which is the conduct of negotiations on Afghan affairs without the participation of the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan. So-called representatives of the Afghan people are to be admitted only at a later .stage. It still remains unclear who is meant by such representa- tives-the country's legitimate Government or the terror- ist gangs maintained by certain foreign circles. We would like to ask the following question. What Government of a sovereign State would be ready to agree to a procedure which is to decide on the destiny of its people without involving in such procedure, or even listening to, the country's legitimate Government? 54. In this debate, too, some speakers have overtly or covertly opposed a political settlement of the situation created around Afghanistan. There is sufficient evidence Af~han people and of the security of the States in the regIOn. 55. The German Democratic Republic is firmly con- vinced that nobody can, in the long run, ignore the realis- tic and constructive proposals of the Government Qf 1J;l~ Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. In the final analy- sis, it is only on this basis that a political settlement to the situation can be found. The realization that a just po- litical settlement is in the interest not only of the Afghan people but also of its neighbours and the other States of the region, will thus constantly gain further ground. 56. The delegation of the German Democratic Republic rejects draft resolution A/36/L. b, which to our minds is bound only to further hamper the finding of a political settlement to the situation created around Afghanistan. 57. In this debate the delegation of the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan has drawn an impressive picture of the present stable political, economic and cultural devel- opment in its country. Let me avail myself of this oppor- tunity to slate once again that the German Democratic Republic will continue in the future to render solidarity and support to the peaceful construction of the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan, with which it maintains close and fraternal relations.

The problem of Afghanistan is not the first to which the United Nations has been attaching particular importance and in connection with which it has adopted resolutions. This problem has been on the agenda of the Security Council and of the General Assembly, but a so- lution has not been found. In this connection we cannot but blame the permanent members of the Security Coun- cil which exercise the right of veto, and in particular the two super-Powers. 59. Further complicating the situation, especially in con- nection with Afghanistan, is the fact that the aggressor occupying-country is one of the two super-Powers, to which the world is looking to safeguard the United Na- tions and the Charter, to prevent any act that might under- ' mine the Organization, which constitutes our last hope of eliminating the danger of a world conflagration. 60. The Security Council, by its resolution 462 (1980), adopted after the Soviet intervention, decided that an emergency special session of the General Assembly should be convened to examine the question. In the course of the sixth emergency special session the General . Assembly adopted resolution ES-6/2, in which it deplored the armed intervention in Afghanistan and appealed'to all States to respect. the sovereignty, territorial integrity, polit- ical independence and non-aligned character of Afghanistan and to refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of that country. At the same time the reso- lution called for the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of the foreign troops, and urged all the parties concerned to assist in bringing about conditions necessary 61. Two years have already elapsed since the Soviet U~i~n'~ o~cupat.io~. of Afghanista.n, and ~e do not see t~e oCCUPYUlg Power prepared to withdraw Its army and Its destructive weapons. There is no sign that the Soviet forces have begun to withdraw, so that the Afghan people can deteATline their own future and choose their own form of government, without foreign pressure. That is the natu- ral right of peoples, in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations, as provided in Article I of the Char- ter, and in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Interna;ional Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [resolution 2200 A (XXI), an- nex], the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Na- tions [resolution 2625 (XXV), annex], the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security [resolution 2734 (XXV)], .and General Assembly resolutions 32/153 on non-interference in the internal affairs of States and 34/l03 on the inadmissibility of the policy of hegemo- nism in international relations. The last resolution, in par- ticular, was the result of a Soviet initiative. 62. Nevertheless the problem of 2 million refugees ex- ists, and the fact that they left their country is proof that the present Government is supported by Soviet armed forces, tanks, trucks, military aircraft-in other words, that Government is in power because of force and coer- cion and not because of self-determination. 63. During the general debate at the present session there have been a large number of pessimistic statements about political developments in the world that create a cold-war atmosphere in which the construction of military bases and other military expenditures increase and mili- tary alliances multiply; that brings about an imbalance in international relations and poses a threat of world war. Al- though the great Powers are aware of the seriousness of the situation and frequently allude to it, they continue obstinately to pursue a policy of confrontation, instead of 67. Moreover, we call on the Government of the Soviet Union to heed the appeal of the Governments and peoples of the international community-and above all of the countries members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference-to stop imposing a particular regime on a people or maintaining it by force. We assure the Soviet Union that the advantages it could gain from a policy of moderation would far outweigh any advantages it can hope to gain from imposing a particular kind of regime on Afghanistan. The Soviet Union's prestige and strength make it possible for it to change its position without los- ing face at all. What is more, its prestige would increase , in the international community. That is the least that can be expected of a great Power that constantly states its sup- port for liberation movements. We are convinced that the Soviet Union will not hesitate to put what it preaches into practice and to allow the people of Afghanistan to exer- cise its right to self-determination and to choose the form of government it wishes, without any outside interference, from wherever it may come: That could be done by means of a referendum or elections under the super~ision of the United Nations. We are sure that the United Na- tions could play a positive and constructive part in that recogniz~ngJheir faults and respecting the provisions of theChaIier and the principles of international law, as well as the feelings of the international community, which wants peace and stability and would like to be able to regard the activities of the great Powers as an example of peaceful coexi~tence in the world. 64. It is not because of an ideological disagreement with the Soviet Union that w~ condemn the military occupation of Afghanistan. Our position would not have been differ- ent if that occupation. were beirig carried out by any other Power, no matter what our rel~tions with it might be. We condemn any invasion of one coumry by another. That has been our position whenever the territorial integrity or freedom of any country has been threatened. We are con- cerned about any violation of the provisions of the Char- 65. We all know that the balance of power plays a major role in the alliances between States and in blocs-above all when there is rivalry and conflict between the great Powers in regard to their interests. Saudi Arabia is a part of the third world and of the non-aligned movement and, like all those belonging to the two groups, we wish to remain outside these conflicts and rivalries. But each country has the right to defend its interests, and Saudi Arabia is constantly concerned about the persistence of the Soviet Union's violation of the rights of the Govern- ment and people of Afghanistan. We shall never accept the Soviet Union's allegation that the invasion of Afghanistan took place at the request of the legal Govern- ment of Afghanistan at the time. That is not true; it is a very weak pretext. The proof of this is the exodus of some 2 million Afghan refugees and the continued armed resistance against the occupation forces, resulting in thou- sands of deaths and millions of wounded among the civil- ian population. 66. We have read the Secretary-General's report on the efforts he has been making to achieve a political solution of the problem. We appreciate the role played by his Per- sonal Representative, Mr. Perez de Cueliar, including the direct contacts he has had with the head of the Pakistan Government and the President of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Karmal, and its Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dost. We are proud to say that the Third Islamic Conference held at Mecca-Taif and the Con- ference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Non-Aligned Countries have played a large role by giving the Secre- tary-General and his Representative the opportunity for consultations and direct contacts with some parties con- cerned. We pay a tribute to the Secretary-General and his Representative for the efforts they have made. We wish them complete success in their search for an acceptable political solution that would make possible the withdrawal from Afghanistan of the occupying armed forces and the exercise by the Afghan people of its right to self-determi- nation. as well as the return of the Afghan refugees to their homeland. 69. Almost two years have elapsed since the Soviet so- cial-imperialists launched their divisions, armed to the teeth with the most modem weapons, in a land and air attack upon Afghanistan aimed at the military occupation of that country, the setting up of a more docile puppet government and the establishment of direct control, thus openly starting the definitive vassalization of Afghanistan. The moment when the tanks and planes of the Soviet oc- cupation army crossed the Afghan frontier to extend their military invasion to the whole country, and not merely to put an end to rivalry among the different groups of politi- cians in the pay of the Soviet Union, who were arguing among themselves in Kabul, a new national tragedy be- gan for the Afghan people, which cherishes freedom and has a proud and strong tradition of refusing to live under a foreign yoke. Having until then refused to submit to numerous intrigues, pressures and interference by the So- viet social-imperialists, that people then feU victim to di- rect military intervention. 70. In spite of repeated attempts and continuous propa- ganda campaigns by the Soviet Union to justify the oc- cupation of Afghanistan, world public opinion and the in- ternational community remain convinced, and are becoming increasingly aware, that the Soviet military in- terventio~ in Afghanistan had indeed been prepared in ad- vance and was motivated by imperialist designs in pursuit of expansionist aims. The Soviet Union was neither obliged nor compeUed to occupy Afghanistan militarily by some alleged invitation of a Government seeking its own liquidation for mysterious reasons or by that other Government which was set up shortly after the entry of Soviet tanks into Kabul. 71 . The Soviet thesis that a country may be occupied at the invitation of a so-called government, or group of lead- ers, which came into being in 1978 with the theory of "limited sovereignty", assumed in Afghanistan an even more brutal and cynical form. This thesis is based upon the worst imperialist reasoning and is extremely dan- gerous. This type of diabolical imperialist invention must be denounced firmly. The right of peoples, nations and sovereign countries to freedom and independence is in- alienable. No self-styled government or political group is entitled to invite a foreign Power to occupy its own coun- try. No alleged invitation of this sort on the part of ele- ments which have betrayed their own people can justify foreign intervention. Foreign military occupation is in all cases and in all circumstances unforgivable, criminal and to be condemned. 72. The occupation of Afghanistan was the sad and tragic outcome, for the Afghan people, of plans prepared in advance in the political and military circles of the Kremlin, and of their numerous aggressive conspiracies and subversive activities carried out within that country. 73. None of the pretexts or arguments advanced by the Soviet Union to find excuses for the invasion and occupa- tion of Afghanistan can hold water. The policies and the aggressive plotting of the Soviet Union contradict its slo- gans about peace, security and friendship for peoples. The occupation of Afglffianistan was preceded by numerous other acts of aggression and intervention which the Soviet Union has perpetrated directly or through intermediaries in various countries and regions of the world, particularly since the military intervention in Czechoslovakia. 74. In his report presented at the beginning of this month to the eighth congress of the Party of Labour of Albania on the work of the Central Committee, the leader of the Albanian people. Comrade Enver Hoxha, said that the occupation of Afghanistan ..... marks the com- mencement of the great march of Soviet social-imperial- ism towards the south, where are to be found the richest energy resources of the world, the most important strate- gic centres. and the zones where the most acute imperial- ist rivalries clash". 75. It has been repeatedly emphasized during the de- bates in the Assembly that Afghanistan has fallen victim to the intrigues of Soviet social-imperialism, aimed at re- alizing the dreams of the former Russian Tsars to push the frontiers of their empire south to warm waters. For the purposes of the Soviet Union, the occupation of Afghanistan is only a point of departure and of support for other expansionist moves to create a more extensive zone of influence in South-West Asia and the Persian Gulf, between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. 76. In launching its Rlscist aggression against Afghanistan, the Soviet Union has acted in the manner of the worst aggressors of the past, for example, like the American imperialists in Viet Nam and other parts of the world. The Soviet occupying armies and authorities are behaving in Afghanistan exactly as the American ag- gressors behaved in Indo-China and other aggressors be- haved during the World Wars and their colonial wars. Re- ports on the situation in Afghanistan indicate that the foreign occupation forces in that country shrink at nothing in order to achieve their aims, which have so far eluded them, and are seeking by fire and sword to subjugate the Afghan people. They are using the latest method of ag- gressive warfare and the notorious so-called "scorched earth" strategy. They carry out successive -mopping-up operations and large-scale massacres, destroying towns and flattening whole villages. They have forced hundreds of thousands. even millions, of people to leave their homes. their property or to leave the country to live as refu- gees in a tragedy similar to that of the Palestinian people which has been .driven out by the Zionist occupiers. And despite all this the Soviet social-imperialists persist in their contention that all they have done is to send a limited military contingent to defend the Afghan people and ensure the security of the Soviet Union, and that this contingent will be stationed temporarily in Afghanistan until the external danger disappears. They are not at ~n 77. Jbe Soviet social-imperialists often invoke the rules of international law and the, resolutions of the United Na- tions when it suits their hegemonistic policy, but in the case of Afghanistan they show the most complete scorn for those same rules and resolutions and adopt an ex- tremely defiant. and arr9gant attitude, flouting the resolu- tions which call for the withdrawal of Soviet troops and even accusing the overwhelming majority of Member States of interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan when they demand that an end be put to the Soviet inter- vention in that country. The Soviet social-imperiali~ts are also very impatient in their efforts to achieve by their po- litical and diplomatic machinations and ploys what they have been unable· to achieve by force. That is why they constantly slan<ler the national 'liberationstruggle and the freedom fignters in Afghanistan and even speak of politi- cal solutions to the problem. But they lose no opportunity to point out that by a political solution all they mean is acceptance by the Afghan people and the interni;ltions! community of the ./Oil accompli of Soviet subjugation of Afghanistan and the pennanent pplitical. economic and milit~'presence of the SQviet Union in the colintry. It is .to aChieve these aims that Soviet diplQma<;y s~eks to re- duce the problem of Afghanistan merely to one of rela- tions between the Kabul regime and the two neighbouring countries., This perfidioqs ·and cynical' n:tanoeuvre is also designed to leave the door open for hostile Soviet ac- tivities against Afghanistan's neighbours. 78. .But so far they· l;1ave succeeded neither in their ag- gression nor·in their manoeuvres: The Soviet anny of oc- cupation continues to' suffer reverses on the fields of the s.truggle. Th'e Afghan collabora~ionist forces are falling apart. The Afghan people, whic" has suffered such hard- shi(t in the last two years under foreign military occupa- tion, .has nevertheless not been subdued. It has proved able to withstand those onslaughts, has become even more hardened in combat, and is overcoming the difficul- ties ·posed by the invas.ion of an imperialist super-Power. This is already an important victory for it and a stinging defeat for its enemies, who had launched their military venture in the hope of becoming the undisputed masters of the situati.on in Afghani~tan in a matter of weeks, but instead find themselves mired in their aggressive war and see that they cannot break the will of the Afghan people to rega~n their freedom. They must also realize that the indignation evoked throughout the world by their aggres- sioo against Afghanistan has not been transit()ry, but is instead growing greater. '79. The tragedy of the Afghan people is also related to t..~ rivalry among the imperialist super-Powers, particu- larly of their.conspiracies and intrigues in the Middle East and South-West Asia.. The Soviet occupation of I Afghanistan was preceded and followed by a very great . amount of hostile activity, aggressive actiollii and conspir- acies· on the part of American imperialism against the Ira- nian revolution. More than a ·year ha~ passed since the imperialist super-Powers provoked armed conflict in the Persian Gulf ,area in order to destabilize further the situa- tion in ~Ie region so that each of them could e"traet bene- ats from it by creating extra difficulties for the Iranian revolution and the national liberation struggle of the Afghan people. 81. The American imperialists and the Chinese social- imperialists for their part do not conceal thp-ir satisfaction at seeing the Soviet Union held at bay by the Afghan people and denounced by the whole world. If they go through the motions of sympathizing with the rights of the Afghan people to freedom and national independence, it is solely in the interests of their super-Power game in the region. 82. It is in the same context of that super-Power game that certain proposals and ideas for a political settlement of the Afghan problem have been put forward. Events confinn our belief that the true settlement of the Afghan probl~m cannot be the- result of diplomatic bargaining on the basis of East-West relations. History is full of exam- ples which show how 'the great imperialist Powers have trodden on the fundamental rights and legitimate interests Qf ~ntire 'peoples and nations in order to satisfy their self- ish interests by way of solutions to problems that they themselves had for the most part created. We thus remain firmly convinced that the decisive factor for the true solu- tion of the Afghan problem continues to be the national liberation struggle of that people. That struggle must con- tinue to enjoy the solidarity and support of freedom-lov- ing 'and progressive peoples throughout the world; just like the Rdestinian people, the Namibian people, the South African people and other peoples suffering from foreign domination, from the aggressive policies of impe- rialism, of social imperialism, o( racism, of zionism and of other reactionary forces. 83. The occupation of Afghanistan has, moreover, fur- ther unmasked the Soviet Union as a ferocious imperialist Power, daily increasing its threat to the freedom and inde- .pe.ndence of peoples anet of sovereign States, pursuing a policy with the same aggressive. expansionist and war- mongering characteristics as that of the United States. But the Soviet Union continues to count heavily on its social- ist past and to attempt to pass off its policy of rivalry with the United States as anti-imperialist. As is indicated in the report of the eighth Congress of the Party of La- bour of Albania "there are people and certain political forces in various countries that still have illusions about the Soviet Union and have a mistaken image of its regime and a naive confidence in its policies". We believe that the occupation of Afghanistan must be condemned more forcefully and the difficult struggle of the Afghan people must be defended and supported in the face of the calum- nies and conspiracies of the Soviet social-imperialists, who are trying to cover up their aggressive policy and their hegemonism. 84. The Albanian people and their Government, as in the past. will continue to m~nifest their sympathy and solidarity with the natio~al liberation struggle of the Afghan people. We believe that the solution to the prob- lem of Afghanistan must include the cessation of tl}e So- viet occupation and intervention, the complete withdrawal without delay of the occupation troops and the cessation 86. Unfortunately the situation in Afghanistan is one of those problems.. We are afraid that this item will continue to be on our agenda in s~ssions to come. Kuwait fs con- vince~. that the international community cannot live in peace and harmony if it does not strictly comply with the principles of international law and the Charter. We are convinced that every people has the inalienable right to choose its own -political, economic and cultural system without having one imposed on it by a foreign Power. The principles of international law and of the Charter cate- gorically reject any interference in the internal affairs of States. Those principles are based on respect for the sov- ereignty and political independence of States, and their territorial integrity on an equal footing with other States. Those same principles reject the use of force in interna- tional relations. Any violation of those principles is a threat to the very foundations of the international commu- nity based on mutual respect, and also a threat to interna- tional peace and security. 87. Afghanistan, that small non-aligned country, found itself faced with a military invasion by a super-Power. Re- gardless of the screen concealing that invasion it is, in our view, a very grave event which must be countered by the international community. Otherwise, we would be en- shrining the violation of the sovereignty of Member States, and endorsing the use of force to impose political systems. Kuwait and Afghanistan are near each other in one of the nerve centres of the world, one of the most important regions of the world, because of economic con- ditions and its privileged su:ategic position. We have close religious and historical ties to Afghanistan. Kuwait, which, in co-operation with neighbouring countries wishes to keep the Gulf region free of international rivalry in all its forms, believes that the military involvement in Afghanistan can throw the area into an international dis- pute of major consequence, endangering the stability and security of the entire region. . 88. My country wishes to maintain the best of relations with all countries in the world, regardless of social, eco- nomic and political differences. Our relations with the So- viet Union are friendly~ we desire to strengthen them and we work towards that constantly. The visit of our Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Soviet Union at the beginning of this past summer and subsequent visits of Kuwaiti officials bear witnes~ to our desire to promote those relations, especially since they stem from our respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other States. 89. At the same time we have said aloud what must be said on the basis of our principles of non-alignment and our opposition to the presence of Soviet military forces in Afghanistan. We have no doubt that the majority of the Afghan people is opposed to the Soviet intervention and to the presence of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. regard- less of the pretext under which they are there. The 90. My cou~try, which believes in a political settlement of the serious 'situation in Afghanistan, considers that the withdrawal of aU foreign troops from that country must take place immediately and unconditionally. We also be- lieve that it is' essential tha, ' 1 States refrain from inter- ference in or' exploitation ~ . the internal affair,s."of Afghanistan. We are convinced that the Afghan people, as an independent and non-aligned country, will be able, in full freedom, to decide on its own future and its own destiny. We wish to place on record our concern at the instability which prevails, leading to an increasing flow of Afghan refugees and causing so many social and eco- nomic problems for the host countries. Conditions must be created that will enable those refugees to return quickly to their country so that they can participate in the making of decisions involving their future. 91. After having. studied the report of the Secretary- General on the situation in Afghanjc;:tan [A/36/653], we wish to pay a tribute to him and to his Personal Represen- tative for their efforts to ensure implementation of the res- olutions of the sixth emergency special session and the thirty-fifth regular session of the General Assembly. The report of the Secretary-General is for us a source of hope, which we trust will be strengthened so that steps can be taken towards the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. We agree with the foHowing statement in the last paragraph of that report: . "The steps taken in the course of the recent con- sultations have shown that the aIJproach adopted can in- deed facilitate the search for a fair political solution, which will ensure that the Afghan people will be able to determine their own destiny" free from foreign inter- vention and interference." We hope that the Secretary-General will do everything possible to ensure the realization of our hopes, in order to safeguard the freedom, independence and non-alignment of Afghanistan. We hope too that he will study every pos- sibility of obtaining adequate guarantees of the non-use of force or the threat of force against the political indepen- dence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of neighbouring countries, guarantees accepted by all the parties concerned and based on the principle of non-inter- ference in the internal affairs of States and the other prin- ciples of the Charter.

The delegation of the Byelorussian SSR, like the delegations of many other Member States, has opposed, and continues to oppose, discussion in the United Nations of the so-called "ques-. tion of Afghanistan", because it is based on a violation of the basic principles of the Charter and is being held de- spite the fundamental objections of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. It constitutes gross interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State and runs counter to the interests of the Afghan people and those of other peoples of South-West Asia. It is to be 93. In this connection, the delegation of the Byelorus- sian SSR, in addition to the statement it made at the 70th meeting of the thirty-fifth session of the General Assem- bly, is once again obliged to draw the attention of the Assembly to certain new and irrefutable facts and events, and to set forth its position of principle. 94. I should like first to refer to the real motives of those in imperialist and hegemonist circles who are trying to turn the events around Afghanistan into a source of regional and international tension. As is well known, in April 1978 the hard-working and freedom-loving people of Afghanistan, under the leadership of their People's Democratic Party, carried out a national democratic revo- lution with a view to building a new, just society on the basis of radical social and' economic changes, and to the fulfilment of the democratic yeamings of the masses of the people, while preserving the national traditions of the Afghan people. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has embarked with determination on the advocacy of peace and justice in the world. Bearing in mind the pur- poses and principles of the Charter, it might be thought that such a positive turn of events in Afghanistan would be welcomed by all, but the opponents of the Afghan people have taken another position. I'listorical experience has shown, and the example of Afghanistan confirms, that every genuinely popular revolution affecting the social basis of an exploited society is opposed by reactionary forces of all types. Actively and directly joined in their struggle against the Afghan revolution, external reaction- ary imperialist and hegemonist forces, in an alliance with internal reactionary forces and in violation of generally accepted norms of international law, have set in motion a veritable undeclared war against Afghanistan in an at- tempt to deny the Afghan people their sovereign right to be the master of their own country. The united front of the struggle against the Afghan revolution-using a full arsenal of modem methods and means, an outrageous in- terference in the internal affairs of that sovereign State, the dispatch of foreign bands equipped outside the country, subversive activities-attempts to stop by any means the legitimate course of events in the development of a State and at the same time to intimidate others. That "is the true underlying motive of those that have imposed on the United Nations consideration of the so-called Afghan question. Let us call things by their proper names: by means of external interference, which has the tacit ap- proval of the United Nations, an unambiguous aim is being pursued, namely, to turn back the course of Afghan history and return the people of Afghanistan to the posi- tion that led them to carry out and develop the revolution of April 1978. 95. Well-known events and facts clearly show that the anti-Afghan hysteria and the rampant political speculation' about the so-called '~fghan question" coincided exactly' with the period when the Afghan people adopted a num- ber of vitally necessary measures to ensure reliable de- fence of their country from foreign encroachments; when they began the peaceful stabilization of the life of the country progress was first made towards the implementa- tion of programmes of reform in the economic, cultural and social spheres. All these events upset the sinister de.;. signs of the internal and external reactionaries, and putled the rug out from under the feet of those who had reacted 97. It is not the normalization of the situation in South- West Asia and the Persian Gulf, but rather its exacerba- tion; it -is not the political settlement of the questions related to Afghanistan, but the expansion of armed inter- ference in the affairs of a sovereign State and the adjacent region that they have in mind in Washington, Beijing and a number of other capitals in thinking up cock-and-bull stories about the presence of a limited contingent of So- viet troops in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. This course of conduct is quite clearly discernible in the position of those delegations which have been partkularly active in advocating the consideration of the notorious '~fghan question" in the General Assembly. On the one hand their statements express what appears to be concern at the absence of a political settlement in the region, and on the other hand they are doing '~verything in their power to exclude the possibility of seeking a solution that would not harm the sovereignty and national interests of the peo- ple of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The main content of such statements is designed to foist upon the General Assembly the aaoption of a new draft resolution based on prerequisites quite as unacceptable to Afghanistan as were those in last year's text. Such an ap- proach is not particularly distinguished by political real- ism and objectively encourages the undeclared war and the subversive activities against one of the Members of the United Nations, a sovereign State, the Democratic Re- public of Afghanistan. 98. We should like to recall that, to a certain extent. after the adoption of last year's resolution. the forces of imperialism. hegemonism and reaction dropped the mask of hypocrisy behind which they had long hidden their connivance in the aggressive acts and subversion against Afghanistan and cynically announced that their activities were an integral part of their po:1cy towards South-West Asia and adjacent regions. There can be no doubt that that improper decision of the Assembly in respect of a non-aligned Member State was used by forces hostile to that State as justification. for bringing additional pressure to bear and cutting short the timid steps of other countries of the region towards norinal good-neighbourly relations. 99. My delegation is convinced that such an approach and such a course cannot be acceptable to the United ~a- - lOO. The statement of the Government of the Demo- cratic Republic of Afghanistan of 24 August sets forth a clear, precise principled and constructive programme for the attainment of a just and political solution of this prob- lem, and it also proposes a reliable mechanism for its practical implementation, given, of course, the existence of goodwill. That statement quite rightly and properly emphasizes that the basic elements of a political settle- ment must be provision for the complete and definitive cessation of armed and other intervention from outside in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and the creation of con- ditions that will ensure that such interference would be precluded in the future. 101. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has ex- pressed its \Jlillingness not only to hold bilateral negotia- tions separately with Pakistan and Iran, although, as usual, they are preferable and the most promising, bm. also, if the partners so wish, to. hold trilateral negotia- tions. Such negotiations can take place with the participa- tion of the Secretary-General or his Personal Representa- tive and the agreements reached on the normalization of relations must be endorsed through reliable international guarantees. The subject of the negotiations, of course, can only be the international aspects of the problem. The in- ternal affairs of Afghanistan-indeed, those of any sov- ereign State-must and will continue to be resolved only by its people and Government and by no one else. 102. In the statement of the Government of Afghanistan, concrete expression is given to the practical aspect of solving the problems of the Afghans which, for one reason or another, are now in the territory of neigh- bouring countries, implementation of action in this respect being strengthened by Afghanistan legislation. The attain- ment of agreement on a political settlement of relations between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, including the elaboration of international guarantees and their practical implementation, would enable the Afghan and Soviet sides to resolve in a timely manner the question of the presence of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. 103. The political settlement of the situation around Afghanistan-and, as can be seen from the proposals of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the elaboration and implementation.of such a settlement is fully realistic-would not just be in keep- ing with the interests of the Afghan people and the peo- ples of neighbouring States, but would also help eliminate tensions existing in the region. For that reason the delega- tion of the Byelorussian SSR fully supports those pro- posals. With goodwill on the part of the interested par- ties, a just political settlement of the problem can be found. It is for the United Nations now to make sure that it is not drawn into machinations designed to disrupt a political settlement of the situation around Afghanistan but instead that it promote such a settlement. 105. On the basis of these remarks and being guided by principles of peace, freedom, independence, non-inter- ference a.,d justice, the delegation of the Byelorussian SSR categorically rejects the draft resolution proposed by the delegation of Pakistan and will vote against it.

The views of the 10 mem- ber States of the European Community on the situation in Afghanistan have been expressed in detail by the repre- sentative of the United Kingdom in his statement on be- half of the Community at the preceding meeting. My dele- gation fully shares those views. 107. As I speak today, I wish to stress the deep concern of my Government over the lack of any substantive pro- gress in the search for a solution to a problem that con- stitutes an unacceptable destabilizing factor in the area and a major source of tension in international relations. This concern is shared by all political forces in my coun- try without exception. It cannot but be reinforced by the indifference shown so far by the Soviet Union to the calls that have been addressed to it by the intem~tional com- munity in the most varied forums to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, thus removing the main obstacle to the exercise by the people of that country of the right to de- termine freely their own future. 108. The military occupation of Afghanistan, which has now been going on for almost two years, is a clear vio- lation of the Charter and the universally accepted princi- ples of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of sov- ereign countries and respect for their independence and territorial integrity. The increasing number of refugees, 109. The General Assembly, in resolution 35/37, has given the Secretary-General a mandate to seek such a so- lution, Indicating at the same time the essential elements on which it should be based. This resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the Members of the United Nations and can be legitimately considered to be the expreasion of the opinion of the international commu- nity in regard to the Afghan crisis. It is a well-balanced test, its purpose being to re-establish in the area respect for the international norms of behaviour between States which have been violated by the Soviet invasion. 1l0. We have therefore examined the report submitted by the Secretary-General with great attention and we should like to express our deep appreciation to him and his Personal Representative for their endeavours in seek- ing ways to implement resolution 35/37. However, we feel bound to express our concern about the very limited pro- gress achieved in the past year through the indirect con- tacts established by the Secretary-General. The need for such progress, as I said, is particularly urgent in the light of the tragic plight of the millions of Afghan refugees and of the intolerable economic, political and social burdens that this situation imposes on the countries neighbouring Afghanistan. 111. Accordingly, my delegation will end its full sup- port to draft resolution A/36/L.15, which reiterates the essen~ial principles on which a solution of the Afghan problem must be based, namely, the withdrawal of foreign troops, the recognition of the right of the Afghan people to self~determination and the establishment of conditions for the return of the refugees to their country and their homes. For the same reasons, we welcomed the results of 112. In concluding, I should like to stress that the Ital- ian Government is, above all, convinced that the interna- tional community, which is represented in its highest ex- pression in the General Assembly of the United Nations, must not acquiesce in faits accomplis and must continue to state its firm opposition to situations such as the one which has been prevailing for almost two years in Afghanistan. We therefore trust that the members of the General Assembly will show once again during this ses- sion the same determination as in the past in calling for a just settlement of the problem of Afghanistan, in line with the purposes and principles of the Charter. The meeting rose at 1.25 p.m. NarES 2 Ibid.. Supplement for January. February and March 1980, .document SH3729. 4 See Bulletin of the European Communities, No. 6, 1981, Vol. 14, para. 1.1.13.