at the Plenary Meeting before the announcement of the vote

                       Saturday morning, 8 July 1995

The second of the principles which must govern relations between the participant States, as sanctioned twenty years ago in the Final Act of Helsinki, establishes that the "participating States will abstain in their mutual relations from threat or the use of force". The 5th principle in that same Declaration establishes that "the participating States will solve disputes among themselves through peaceful means". The tenth and last article of the afore-mentioned Declaration which, needless to say, is the origin and the last term of reference of the true meaning, past and present, of the OSCE, establishes that "the participating States will comply with good faith with their obligations deriving from international law."

When on 9 March 1995, Canadian Navy units arrested the fishing vessel "Estai" in international waters off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the Canadian Government was violating these and other international committments reflected in the Final Act of Helsinki, of which Canada is a signatory Party.

Moreover, this unjustified and illegal act of violence was being committed in contravention of Article II of the Treaty of Washington, constituent of NATO, stipulating that "...the Parties will attempt to eliminate conflicts in their international economic policies and will promote economic cooperation among all or some of them".

Over the years, it has been a constant in the behaviour of the various Spanish Governments and their parliamentary delegations not to raise bilateral problems or conflicts in multilateral fora. But the Spanish delegation before this Parliamentary Assembly which takes place precisely in Ottawa, has considered that the seriousness of the actions taken by the Canadian Government, which have deserved the most energetic condemnation and rejection on the part of the Spanish Government and the EU. Commission, could not be silenced when some of the most significant principles which have us gathered here were so flagrantly violated by the Government of Canada. Multilateral trust is also based on respect and care of bilateral trust. The Spanish trust in the capacity of this Canadian Government has been seriously breeched and I have the political and moral responsibility of exposing these facts.

The OSCE cannot become a forum for empty repetitions of grand words.

The OSCE has always been consistent with according an important space to the examination of the level and quality of compliance with previously acquired committments. Today the Spanish delegation wishes to be consequent with this committment and therefore underline the intolerable conduct of the Canadian Government by behaving as it did, i.e., ignoring and violating what are basic principles of conduct for nations who call themselves civilized.

By doing this, I am not merily conveying the personal feelings of the members of this delegtion and the whole Spanish Parliament, but also those of the people whom we represent and serve: the Spanish people.

We consider a serious offence that which Canada has inflicted upon our people, by ignoring basic norms of conduct in international relations. Furthermore, contempt shown with the adoption of positions that rejoice in the projection of a nationalism comically stirred by a Canadian Minister of Fisheries, unbecoming to the good history of the Canadian people. The incitement to the use of force or the show of sympathy for those who maintain such a dubious attitude only put into evidence the dangerous and exemplary nature of those who today sow winds and tomorrow will harvest tempests. From this viewpoint, the case of the Canadian Government constitutes not only a violation of basic norms of International Law, but also, and above all, an incitement to reverting to the law of the jungle. And I firmly believe that the work carried out for centuries and decades by generations who knew how to place the force of reason before the reason of force cannot be gratuitously annulled by adventurous initiatives, unlawful or simply insolvent, such as those adopted by the Canadian government on March 9th 1995. We have come to Ottawa because the OSCE summoned us. But in the name of its principles and the respect it deserves, we could not let pass the occasion to express our condemnation and rejection. We hope and wish that a profound reconsideration on the part of the Canadian government of its attitudes will allow the renewal of the normal and fruitful contacts between two peoples and nations who until now were peacefully satisfied with the evolution of their relations.

MEMBERS OF THE SPANISH DELEGATION TO THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY (JULY 1995):

 
President: Mr. Javier Ruperez
           Deputy of the Popular Parliamentary Group 
           Partido Popular (Popular Party)
 
Representatives of the Parliamentary Groups:
 
           Mr. Miguel Angel Barbuzano
           Senator
           Coalicion Canaria (Independent Canary Islands Group)
 
           Mr. Ramon Espasa
           Deputy
           Izquierda Unida-Iniciativa per Catalunya (United Left)
 
      
           Mr. Joxe Juan Gonzalez de Txabarri
           Deputy
           Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Basque Nationalist Party)
 
           Mr. Alejandro Munoz Alonso
           Deputy
           Partido Popular (Popular Party)
 
           Mr. Roberto Soravilla
           Senator
           Partido Popular (Popular Party)
 
Letrado de las Cortes Generales (Spanish Parliament Lawyer):
 
           Mr. Carlos Gutierrez
 
Secretary of the Delegation:
 
           Mrs. Maria Jesus Alguero