ABSTRACT: Papers (motions, amendments, appeals, statements) introduced during the first session of the 36th Congress of the Radical Party (Rome, 30 April - 3 May 1992). The papers will be examined during the second session of the Congress, to be held, according to the new calendar (text N. 4293), "by the month of January 1993".

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EUROPE AND THE WORLD: A NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE

Vladimir Ivanov

APPEAL OF THE XXXVI CONGRESS OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY

To radical parliamentarians, to members of the Trasnational Radical Party, to the social and international institutions, to all the people of good will.

Perhaps the world does not know that Europe and the whole planet were vacillating, a short while ago, on the scales of history between the fateful "yes" and the fateful "no". In those days, in a country that has a population of 52 million and a territory of ....... sq. km. (slightly larger than France) a struggle was going on around a difficult political decision: choosing whether to have a nuclear free future or not.

This country is Ukraine. Even Bielorussia, in those days, was debating the issue. The nuclear potential concentrated in Ukraine was inferior, as a destructive force, only to that of the two world powers: the United States and Russia. Ukraine had in fact surpassed the nuclear potential of Great Britain, France and China.

The hour to promote global initiatives has come: The congress of the Transnational Radical Party must turn to the global community with an appeal:

It is necessary to support the only possible choice, that is the one chosen by the people of Ukraine and Bielorussia, in favor of the refusal of nuclear arms, these pose one of the greatest threats to the planet, to humanity.

Direct an appeal to other nuclear powers in the West and East, so that they can guide Ukraine and Bielorussia on the road to voluntary nuclear disarmament, in order to enable them to take all the necessary steps immediately with regard to their own arsenals.

Unless this is done, "the nuclear club" can only become stronger because of the growing concentration, monopolization of nuclear arms.

Some of the so called "nuclear powers" enjoy priviledged positions in the United Nations. The priviledges, are however artificial and lack any kind of right, and many countries, still far from obtaining democracy, strive therefore to enter into the "nuclear club" and consider it somewhat prestigious.

The hour has therefore come to consider a crime to democracy and humanity, the desire to own as well as to maintain, a nuclear potential.

The scales have been vacillating, it is time to act - everybody!

The appeal "Europe and the World - a nuclear free future" has been signed by 54 participants at the congress. The authors thank their colleagues:

A.Kalinin (Russia), M.Kozakov (Ukraine), V.Lebedev (Estonia), S.Malenkov (Russia), S.Shapinjan (Armenia), V.Shnejder (Kirghizistan); the delegation from St. Petersburg, from Azerbajdzan and Italian friends for observations, corrections and additions.

Further thanks to all those who have supported us with their signatures.

VLADIMIR IVANOV Co-President of the Green Party (Ukraine)

MARIA IVANJAN Secretary of the Moscow organization of the Green Party (Russia)

ROVSAN MUSTAFAEV Independent politologist