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29.

ADDRESS
BY MR. VLADIMIR PETROVSKY
ON THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURATION
OF THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR THE UNITED NATIONS

6 June 1995

Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. We are gathered here today for a very special occasion - the

inauguration of the European Business Council for the United Nations.
The creation of this Council is most timely and welcome. I would like
in particular to stress the role of the Inter-European Cooperation Union and its
President, Mr. Richard Vautier, whose insistent efforts were the major driving
force behind this initiative. I am pleased to say that this initiative was honoured
by a special message of the United Nations Secretary-General.

2. The European Business Council was created following the example, and
with the support, of the New York Business Council. The concept is to
establish a link of communication between the economic community of
Europe and the United Nations agencies and programmes, to facilitate the
understanding by business people of the activities of the United Nations and
the ways it addresses the new range of global problems.

3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Boutros Boutros-
Ghali, in his recent statement before members of the New York Stock
Exchange said that the United Nations is a corporation worth backing. Indeed,
despite all the complexities of current international political situation, the
United Nations has the experience, the network and the legitimacy to facilitate

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