1.
GV United Nations Building
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2.
GV INT Delegates seated
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3.
SV Dr. Muller speaking
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TRANSCRIPT: SEQ. 3: DR. MULLER: Mr President...In a spirit of good neighbourliness we shall continue to co-operate with them to our mutual advantage and, in the nature of things, on a much larger scale than we are already dong in the case of our other newly-independent African neighbours. In the long term, this political development could lead to a Commonwealth of independent peoples and states living side by side on a basis of sovereign equality. They will continue to be inter-dependent economically but there will be no domination of any one people or any one state by others. Mr. President, to the sceptics who may still refuse to believe in the feasibility or practicability of the programme I have outlined, perhaps because of the size or economic viability of the territories or homelands we are leading to independence, let me say this: the populations of the territories in question rang between 300,000 and 3,500,000 - populations which exceed those of many states which belong to this organisation and are represented here today. Their areas too exceed the areas of many members of the United Nations. The gross national income of several of these territories compares more than favourably with that of some member states. Moreover South Africa itself has one of the strongest and fastest-developing economies in the entire world. In the light of our economic inter-dependence and our commitment to regional co-operation, economic stability in Southern Africa will be guaranteed and development in all fields assured. Against this background, Mr. President, we do not believe that we can be legitimately accused of denying the peoples of south Africa the right of self-determination."




Initials JMR/DW/BJ/1626 JMR/DW/MH/1619



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Addressing the United Nations General Assembly yesterday (October 1), the South African Foreign Minister, Dr. Hilgard Muller, spoke of the day when the different territories inside his country would live side by side on the basis of sovereign equality with no domination of any one people by another.

In the light of its declared programme, Dr. Muller said, South Africa could not be legitimately accused of denying the peoples of South Africa the right to self-determination.