G8 Summits > 1988 Toronto Summit

Chairman's Summary of Political Issues

Toronto, June 20, 1988

The following represents an agreed summary of the discussions on the Middle East, South Africa, and Cambodia.

Middle East

We express our deep concern at the increasing instability in the Near East. The current violence in the Occupied Territories is a clear sign that the status quo is not sustainable. An early negotiated settlement to the underlying Arab-Israeli dispute is essential. We declare our support for the convening of a properly structured international conference as the appropriate framework for the necessary negotiations between the parties directly concerned. In this perspective we salute current efforts aimed at achieving a settlement, particularly the initiative pursued by Mr. Shultz since February. We urge the parties to cooperate fully in the search for a solution.

We have pursued our consultations about the continuing war between Iran and Iraq, which remains a source of profound concern to us. We reaffirm our support for Security Council Resolution 598, which was adopted unanimously. We express our warm appreciation for the efforts of the Secretary-General to work for a settlement on this basis and reiterate our firm determination to ensure implementation of this mandatory resolution by a followup resolution. We condemn the use of chemical weapons by either party, deplore proliferation of ballistic missiles in the region, and renew our commitment to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation in the Gulf.

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South Africa

We declare our abhorrence of apartheid, which must be replaced through a process of genuine national negotiations by a nonracial democracy.

We expressed our urgent opinion on three particular matters:

(1) All legal options available in South Africa should be used to secure clemency for the Sharpeville Six;

(2) The enactment of legislation designed to deprive antiapartheid organizations of overseas aid would place severe strain on the relations each of us has with South Africa;

(3) We strongly support the current negotiations seeking national reconciliation within Angola, an end to the Angola-Namibia conflict, and early implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 435.

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Cambodia

As the recent message from Prince Sihanouk has reminded us, the continuing Cambodian conflict and the suffering of the Cambodian people is of deep concern. We join the vast majority of the nations of the world in calling for the prompt withdrawal of all Vietnamese troops. We support a political settlement in Cambodia which will provide for Cambodian selfdetermination and lead to the reemergence of a free and independent Cambodia.

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Source: U.S., Department of State, Bulletin, No. 2137 (August 1988): 49; Canada, Department of External Affairs, [Toronto Economic Summit] Chairman's Summary of Political Issues (Ottawa, 1988) [unpublished].

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