over the Soviet Union and the warsaw Treaty States and to regain imperialist hegemony in the world, draw the peoples ever more deeply into the vortex of fatal dangers. But the experience of many years has clearly proved that more weapons do not produce greater security. On the contrary, they undermine trust and co-operation and heighten the danger of war. On the European continent, where the two most powerful military alliances of our time directly confront each other, this is particularly evident in the deployment of new medium-range nuclear weapons by the United States. In the light of this fateful development, the warsaw Treaty States are ready for the most radical steps to limit and liquidate any type of weapons. Their numerous and comprehensive proposals offer realistic possibilities to that end. Of utmost importance, in our view, are the unilateral steps recently taken by the USSR and the new far-reaching proposals which the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, explained a few days ago in Paris. This comprehensive and concrete peace programme offers a great chance to all those seriously concerned about peace. We would be failing in our responsibility if we did not seize this opportunity. BG/11 A/C.l/40/PV.4 41 (Mr. Ott, German Democratic Republic) The new Soviet peace initiatives are, as can be seen from the world-wide response they have evoked, serious, businesslike and constructive. They are capable of easing the complicated, dangerous international situation. Given a corresponding political willingness of the other side, a genuine change of course in relations between East and West away from confrontation and towards constructive co-operation could be brought about. In my country the new Soviet proposals have found unanimous approval, since they take into account the sensitive political and geographical- as well as 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement from a government official or representative of a country, addressing the issue of international relations and arms control. The language used is formal and diplomatic, suggesting that the topic is a serious and sensitive one. The text mentions specific countries, organizations, and individuals, which implies that it is a contemporary document. Given these factors, it is likely that the text falls under the category of international relations or diplomacy.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief