U.N. Admits Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia
Embattled Bosnia-Herzegovina was admitted to the United Nations on Friday, together with Croatia and Slovenia, and immediately urged the world body to defend it against aggression.
The president of the General Assembly said the international community has a commitment to defend the new members’ sovereignty.
The United Nations now has 178 members, compared with only 51 when it was founded in 1945.
“We call on this body to come to our aid in the hour of our greatest need,” Bosnian Foreign Minister Haris Silajdzic declared from the General Assembly rostrum.
He said the Security Council should invoke enforcement measures under U.N. Charter articles providing for sanctions and the possible use of force.
Croatia was represented in the General Assembly by President Franjo Tudjman and Slovenia by President Milan Kucan.
Welcoming the newcomers, Assembly President Samir Shihabi of Saudi Arabia said their admission is “an affirmation by the international community of its commitment to safeguard the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each of these new member states.”
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