Let me first of all join the welcome of the new ambassador of the Netherlands. Madame President, I would like to deliver what I would call an impromptu statement but I can be very brief.  When I delivered my own introductory statement on the 6 of August – only a short time ago – I was actually really hopeful that a decade long deadlock of the CD could be overcome and I have actually been so courageous to think that it might happen on the very same day. I sensed a very broadly based willingness to finally turn the page and move forward. 

I was aware, and am still aware of very intensive efforts on your part, Madame President, to accommodate the remaining concerns of a procedural nature of one delegation. And I wish to commend you for these efforts. And only a few days after I had the honor to participate in these gatherings I had another honor to be here when for the first time for myself a distinguished foreign minister addressed this plenary. And I was very impressed to hear him encourage all of us to really get going. It is against this background that I associate myself with the statements which we have heard so far which express disappointment about the state of affairs and which urge us to move forward and not be hostage to procedural issues. And I would finally urge all delegations to join a procedural draft decision which enjoys very, very wide support in this hall.

Thank you, Madame President.

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