Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Statement by Mr Pham Quoc Tru of Vietnam to the Conference on Disarmament 9th September 2008

Unofficial Transcript

Mr President, please allow me on behalf of my delegation to express our sincere thanks and congratulation to you upon your assumption of the Presidency of the Conference.
My delegation heartily appreciates your hardwork, your tireless efforts made in the process of consultations with delegations in order to draft and adopt the report about the Conference to the United Nations General Assembly.

I would also like to thank the other Presidents of the Conference during the year 2008, the Ambassadors of of Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, who have made great and concerted efforts for the work of our Conference.

Mr President, it is the great honour for Vietnam, to be the first CD President for 2009. May I take this opportunity to express the total determination of my delegation to conduct the consultations during the intercessional period with all the members of the Conference, with the view to taking powerful steps to start the conference next year.
This task will be obviously facilitated by smooth cooperation among all, particularly the Presidents for 2008 CD session and Presidents for 2009 CD session. My delegation will listen to all colleagues so as to ensure the best possible conditions for the success of the Conference in 2009. The success of the 2009 CD session is subjected to common efforts of all members of the Conference; therefore may I appeal to all delegations to approach the 2009 CD session with an open mind, and a spirit of compromise, flexibility and renewed determination that will allow the conference to get back to substantive work.

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to Ambassador Khan of Pakistan and wish him success in his new endeavour. I also would like to welcome new Ambassadors of Finland, Italy, Republic of Korea, Austria and other new Ambassadors to the Conference. I believe they will bring new energy to our conference and please be assured of the strong support and close cooperation from my delegation.

Thank you Mr President.