Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-16-Speech-3-313"
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"en.20051116.21.3-313"2
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"Mr President, wars are often waged under the cover of darkness. It is a sign of the times that the fight for peace is also being waged by the Members of this Parliament at night.
Military spending reached USD 956 billion two years ago, and last year the figure topped USD 1 trillion. We are witnessing the return of record levels of spending last seen during the Cold War. Military expenditure is increasing by around 10-11% per year, which equates to a fully-fledged arms race. The proverb has it that, ‘if you want peace, prepare for war’, but we must ask ourselves whether this is the right response to the problems of the 21st century. Is it not the case, as the Vatican representative said at the 59th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, that ‘increased reliance on guns – large and small – is leading the world away from, not towards, security’? We should support the UN initiative to build a culture of peace, and promote the civilisation of love advocated by Pope John Paul II.
I should like to congratulate the rapporteur, Minister Kristovskis, for having drafted a sensible report that is based on a compromise. The paragraph concerning the risk of proliferation of Cold War stockpiles of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons is of particular significance, as is the reference to the ban on nuclear weapons tests in space, which was adopted 38 years ago.
I should like to conclude by saying that our emphasis on the fact that even a justified use of military force must comply with the UN Charter, and be preceded by the use of all possible political and diplomatic means, is to be welcomed. The European Parliament cannot work wonders, but it may well be in a position today to give peace a somewhat better chance."@en1
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