Andorra - Leadership

Forné believes that for Andorra's prosperity to continue, the country must gradually become more engaged in the outside world. Forné opposed Ribas's efforts to institute broader taxation and instead has concentrated on strengthening Andorra's links to the outside world in order to attract trade and investment. His leadership is evident in several steps taken shortly after he rose to power. In 1995, he attended meetings of the United Nations (UN) in New York and used the occasion to hold discussions with a number of current and future potential trading partners. In 1996, Forné's government took a firm stand on a key international issue by signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Signatories of this treaty do not possess chemical, nuclear, or biological weapons and pledge not to obtain them in the future. The treaty could prove to be an important step in the effort to stem the sale and development of weapons of mass destruction in the aftermath of the Cold War. The Forné government is expected to continue to support positions in the security field that promote peaceful relations among nations.