Text of the Speech made by Mr. Seydoux (France) in the Security Council Meeting No. 1251 held on 5 November 1965

Text of the Speech made by Mr. Seydoux (France) in the Security Council Meeting No. 1251 held on 5 November 1965

The French delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us on the conflict between India and Pakistan. It considers that it was essential for the Security Council, after having confirmed the need for strict compliance with the cease-fire, to provide for measures to ensure the formulation of a plan for the withdrawal of armed personnel which would really be applicable in the field.

My Government is sure that, once this condition is fulfilled, India and Pakistan will decide, as required by the Council's resolutions, to withdraw their armed personnel back to the positions held by them at the beginning of August. We think that it was also useful that the Council, in the hope of a lasting settlement of the problem of Kashmir- which is at the root of this conflict-should have reaffirmed its resolution 211 (1965) "in all its parts", thus marking its decision to consider, as soon as operative paragraph 1 of resolution 210 (1965) has been implemented, what steps could be taken to assist towards that settlement, and also that the Council renewed its appeal to the two Governments to utilise all peaceful means, including those listed in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, to this end.

It is, in fact, both the responsibility of the Security Council and the wish of all countries friendly to India and Pakistan and thus of France-that an atmosphere of peace and understanding should be restored in this deeply disturbed area of the world.

While this is the desire of my Government, I should like to state that our approval of this draft resolution is subject to the reservations which I made at the 1247th meeting on the principles which, in our opinion, should guide the Security Council in the application of its decisions.