Transcribed Farewell Statement of
the Ambassador of Bulgaria Mr. Petko Draganov to
the Conference on Disarmament

16/8/01

Mr. President this happens to be my first intervention under your presidency. And although you may be chairing your last plenary please allow me to formally extend my warmest congratulations and personal satisfaction on your assumption of the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament. Rest assured of my delegation's continued support and high appreciation. Let me also congratulate your predecessor Ambassador REyes and express my delegation's gratitude for the energy applied and the excellent work done under his presidency. The appointment of Special Coordinators on Effective Functioning, Agenda and Expansion of the Conference on Disarmament is a welcome and much needed positive signal emanating from our negotiating body. For reasons beyond my control this is again the first time I am taking the floor at plenary since that appointment and I would like to stress my wholehearted gratitude for the trust that I was honored with as Special Coordinator on Expansion of the CD.

Mr. President this is also my last statement to the Conference on Disarmament as I am being called by my government to serve in another capacity. The result of my disarmament activities must have been so impressive that it was decided to put an end to those urgently and I be given an assignment, which among other things might actually include some measure of rearmament activities.

Looking back I recall my first appearance in this solemn hall and my first statement here. It was on the very day when the Conference was able to adopt after a prolonged negotiation the decision to establish an ad hoc committee on FMCT. I remember it well. Delegations expressed great satisfaction. Colleagues came up to me and congratulated me for bringing good luck to the CD. I wonder... Probably because I was still new to this Conference, I did not quite grasp why this decision had been given so much importance that day. I figured the real important time would be when the Conference got down to real negotiations on an agreement per se. But like I said it was back then and I was still a green hat. I know better now. For the last three years my delegation has consistently endeavored to make a substantive contribution to our work. My main goal throughout this time was to create by means of effective networking a better understanding of the problems that we face and a more common vision on the ways to achieve progress. I had the honor to chair the like-minded group of countries on anti-personnel landmines. I was privileged to preside over the Conference on Disarmament and to present its 2000 year report to the United Nations General Assembly. I am consulting on CD expansion.

But three years seems so short now and I still find myself involved in pre-negotiating intensive consultations on possible agreements on eventual substance. It sounds frustrating and often enough it is frustrating. Yet I do not feel my time here has been wasted. On the contrary I feel immensely enriched by the experience. I have discovered firsthand just how much hard work international arms control, peace and security require. I have made many friends and I have lots of unfinished business left so I will be back.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all colleagues for the advice, cooperation and goodwill that I have enjoyed during my tour of duty. Let me say a special word of acknowledgment for the custodian of our proceedings, the Secretary General of the Conference on Disarmament, Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky and to his Deputy Mr. Enrique Roman Morey. I would like to commend all the members of the Secretariat for their energy and competence. Last but not least I would like to thank the interpreters for their skill and tolerance. There we go. I am now officially into my third page so no one will hold it against me if I conclude here. Thank you Mr. President and good luck to you all.