Group, geared towards systematizing political dialogue and analysis, should serve as a catalyst in bringing about political dialogue at the highest level in two or three areas of paramount importance for mankind. Venezuela attaches the highest significance to that initiative. JB/21 A/S-18/PV.3 97 (Mr. Figueredo Planchart, Venezuela) I turn now to specific subjects, as regards the external indebtedness of the developing countries. It should be understood that the central issue cannot be, as some would have us believe, whether or not obligations contracted will be fulfilled. No one in his right mind is seeking to shirk commitments legally agreed upon. The problem remains the negative conditions under which it has been attempted to compel us to meet such obligations and the effect of that compulsion on our countries' growth and development. Our objective must be to ensure sufficient financial flows to enable us to restore vigorous growth in our economies at rates at least equal to the historical rates. We also have to modify an adverse trend -the fact that our internal savings have not been able to be earmarked for development but have gone where they were the least needed. In Latin America, the net transfer of resources tb the industrialized countries reached more than $200 billion during the period 1982-1989. That incredible drain of resources, in addition to being unjust and scandalous, has created, as is widely known, serious impediments to the development of our countries. Moreover, the international trade system should operate in open and outward-looking development strategies that will allow the developing countries to achieve a significant increase in their exports. Similarly, we must attend to the problems faced by those countries due to the deterioration in the terms of trade for their traditional exports. We must reverse that tendency and use such 
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the economic issues faced by developing countries, specifically the problems with external indebtedness, trade, and the impact on their growth and development. It also touches on the need to modify internal savings and reverse the deterioration in the terms of trade for traditional exports. These themes suggest that the text is more concerned with economic development and international trade, rather than other categories.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade