TEXT 5

Yesterday, the Swiss government officially expressed the country's intention to join the
United Nations, saying that the country's accession to the UN would be in the political
interests of the state. In this regard, the government appealed to both chambers of the
Confederation Parliament to consider holding a nationwide referendum on the issue. If the
results of the current plebiscite are positive, then in two years Switzerland will be able to
become a new member of the UN, and then there will be only one state in the world, which
for fundamental reasons does not join the UN - the Vatican.
Switzerland has recently suffered a number of catastrophes, both technological and
economic. However, despite the "black year", which broke many illusions of the Swiss, the
traditions and myths of the country still remain true for most of the population. It is no
accidental that the Swiss still have not decided whether they should abandon their
exceptional status. According to public opinion polls, only forty-six percent of the
population of the Alpine Republic expressed consent to vote in a referendum next March for
joining the UN, while a third intends to vote against, as in 1986. In other words, it is not yet
clear whether the government's initiative will receive the votes of the majority of the
population and the support of the cantons.

TEXT 6
The regular session of the UN General Assembly begins in New York today. It will focus on
coordination the world community's efforts to combat terrorism. The UN Secretary General
will address the opening ceremony. His speech will be dedicated to the role of the United
Nations in the new international situation that has arisen since the terrorist attacks of
September 11 in the USA. Earlier, the Secretary-General had made a statement that UN
member states were obliged to provide any assistance to terrorist groupings and to
establish a constant exchange of information on terrorist activities. He is also expected to
propose measures to prevent terrorists from falling into the hands of nuclear, chemical or
biological weapons. Representatives of more than 60 UN member states will address the
participants of the session. The participants will also discuss the preparation of a new
counter-terrorism agreement, which will unite and supplement twelve international
agreements on this issue. The session of the UN General Assembly will last until October 5.
Last week, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that mandates all countries to take
action against terrorists and sponsors of terrorists.