UN GENERAL DEBATE: INDIA, GERMANY, ITALY AND

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000882 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV AORC UNGA BP MT IN HR TV MO BB IC, FJ, DO, TN, ST, GV, GJ, LU, GM, IT, LO, SO, AO SUBJECT: UN GENERAL DEBATE: INDIA, GERMANY, ITALY AND OTHERS SPEAK ¶1. SUMMARY: Speakers at the UN General Debate the afternoon of September 26 continued discussion of the energy, food, and financial crises; climate change; and UN reform. India focused on nuclear issues, support for Afghanistan, and its intent to resolve issues with Pakistan. Germany and Italy stood firm against Iranian actions and anti-Israeli rhetoric. Some countries warned against reintroducing "Cold War rivalry." Others, including Morocco, called for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Morocco encouraged dialogue and reconciliation in Iraq. Smaller, conflict-prone states spoke against the proliferation of small arms. Disturbingly, Fiji stated that it was "not able to schedule an election" to return to parliamentary democracy. Speakers included: Solomon Islands, India, Croatia, Tuvalu, Morocco, Barbados, Iceland, Fiji, Dominican Republic, Tonga, Saint Lucia, Republic of Guinea, Luxemburg, Grenada, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Somalia, and Angola. Video and texts are available at www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate. END SUMMARY. HIGHLIGHTS -------------- ¶2. Iran: Germany reiterated that "An armed Iran with nuclear weapons would pose a threat to security....Therefore, Iran must put its cards on the table. We have made our offer. The Iranian side's delaying tactics must not exhaust the patience of the international community. We expect a clear signal from Iran indicating its willingness to comply with the international community's demands and build confidence." Italy joined in, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The western Europeans condemned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments calling for the destruction of Israel. ¶3. Georgia: Croatia welcomed the European Union's August 2008 "six-point agreement," and warned that failure to address issues multilaterally could lead to "old paradigms of confrontation" and compromise "democratic gains" achieved after the Cold War. Luxemburg called for resolution "on principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity." Germany said it stood firm on Georgian borders, and announced that the EU Observer Mission will forward a comprehensive strategy in October. Slovakia cautioned that unresolved disputes nurture extremism and hailed the importance of a "European and transatlantic perspective." ¶4. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Morocco expressed support for the "Road Map" and "Arab Peace Initiative;" and called for an end to "projects that are taking place around the Al Aqsa Mosque and other parts of Jerusalem." Malta and the Solomon Islands praised Turkey's facilitation of the indirect Israeli-Syrian negotiations, and expressed support for the Annapolis Conference and continued Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Guinea urged the creation of a Palestinian state. ¶5. Burma, Cuba, and Venezuela: Croatia raised the need to alleviate the suffering of the Burmese people. On Cuba, the Solomon Islands noted it as "a new partner" and its providing "medical training opportunities" to youth. Grenada, identifying itself as "a friend of both the United States and Cuba," was joined by Angola in calling for an end to the embargo, and thanked Venezuela for subsidized oil. ¶6. South Asia: Singh highlighted India's "impeccable" record on non-proliferation, reconfirmed its commitment to disarmament, and reiterated its proposal for a Nuclear Weapons Convention. Singh called Afghanistan "a deep concern" and called on the international community to ensure the success of reconstruction and democratization. On Pakistan, he said: "We welcome the return of democracy," and "are committed to resolving outstanding issues...including...Jammu and Kashmir." FM Steinmeier of Germany said "Pakistan's internal stability is crucial to the stability of the entire region." ¶7. Security Council: Luxemburg announced its candidacy for 2013-2014. St. Lucia called for a permanent seat for Africa, and stated that selection criteria should be based on adherence to UN Charter principles. Tonga gave explicit support for a permanent UNSC seat for Japan. Germany declared that it is "prepared to shoulder more responsibility." Slovakia supports permanent seats for Japan, Brazil, India and Africa; as well as a non-permanent seat for eastern Europe. Khalilzad