YouSaid · the spoken record

Edi Rama

lines on the record: 97
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2022-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It is in that spirit that Albania acts in the region, in Europe, including here, at the General Assembly and in the Security Council, that the world expects rightfully to deliver, to stand up and save lives, to prevent and re-solve conflict not to be paralyzed or held hostage. Let me conclude by quoting a beautiful African proverb, which says it all about our United Nations: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.””
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Despite all the worries and challenges that keep us awake at night, we should not lose hope, we should keep trying and renew efforts in order to put universality at the heart of what we say and what we do at the national, regional and global levels. More than ever, in today’s shaken world, we need to commit ourselves to our fundamental universal values and acknowledge that we constitute a community of fate, despite our different national perspectives and interests. Global warming will not distinguish between North and South, and the rise of the sea level will not stop at any shore. If the pandemic that shook the world to the core, has taught us anything, it is a very simple lesson, that no one is immune until everyone is.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is high time for Kosovo and Serbia to move beyond the current stalemate in their dialogue and to work bravely towards a comprehensive peace agreement by doing their respective parts to adopt a breakthrough document backed by the European Union and the United States. Dialogue is not just a better way; it is the sole and unique way to deal with issues, however difficult they may appear, however complex they may be. I remain convinced that Open Balkans will only help facilitate this process, to the benefit of all: Albanians and Serbs, Kosovo and Serbia, but also for the entire region and the wider Europe.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The best message of the Open Balkans that I want to share today is that you do not need to agree on everything to leave a dark past behind and build step by step a common, bright future by dealing with your disagreements in an increasingly gracious way and by finding ever more good reasons to resolve those disagreements. By strengthening its relations with Serbia and moving forward together to boost bilateral and regional cooperation, Albania has not and will not move an inch from its firm position in support of the need for every country represented here that has not yet done so, including first and foremost Serbia, to recognize the Republic of Kosovo.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“You need only turn that region in any way you want, and you will find a lot of fuel for division and toxicity. But we in Albania have realized that the best way to advance is to do so together, with shared benefits as sovereign countries but close partners; as national players joined by a common enterprise, with our specific interests as part of a common framework that responds to our citizens. This brought us, together with North Macedonia and Serbia, to launch the Open Balkans initiative, a platform open to all Balkan countries — not just the three of us but Montenegro and Kosovo, Bosnia and Tiirkiye, Greece and further — as an investment for everyone and part of the wider, common European project.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Nevertheless, exactly because democracy and its institutions have, among many virtues, that of repairing their faults and errors, we strongly believe that, based on this crying lack of any evidence whatsoever, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will honour the truth and accept Albania’s request to produce a follow-up report and, although the damage has been done, help restore the credibility of such an important international organization as the Council of Europe. We will never give up on this truth, and we will not stop honouring all of those who have given their lives for freedom and independence, and against whom nobody, in anybody’s name, can cast a single speck of dirt. I will say a few more words on the Western Balkans, not of the past but of the future — the one that we are working to build together.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Not a single word of the entire indictment that came next has anything to do with the Council of Europe’s report on the alleged crime of organ trafficking. It is a complete fantasy. Is this not a monumental failure of international politics? This is not about a person. It is not about a court procedure. This is about inflicting an undue stain on a country and its history.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Every investigative effort has been made during these 11 long years to prove those allegations nationally, regionally and internationally — to no avail. Nothing — not a single shred of evidence or proof — was found anywhere, in Kosovo or anywhere else, regarding the alleged trafficking of organs. Yet, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which were founded on the basis of that report, arrested Kosovo’s sitting President, Hashim Thagi, without indictment. He waited a year in detention until he was formally indicted. I would ask everyone here to imagine for a moment their president, prime minister or country leader being removed from office in a third country and kept there in custody for a whole year without any formal indictment by a body created and sponsored by a community of democratic countries. And guess what?”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I cannot but share here a terrible example of that, which should serve as a lesson to all the word and, first and foremost, the democratic world. In 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a report, compiled by a zealous parliamentarian who goes by the name Dick Marty, accusing the Kosovo Liberation Army of the despicable crime of organ trafficking. Mr. Marty should have been paid as a storyteller, but never trusted as a rapporteur of the Council of Europe. His report was shocking, and not only did many believe it at the time, but it became the key factor in enhancing the idea of and establishing the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. It also became one of the worst cases of distorted reality, a kind of manifesto for worldwide propaganda against Kosovo’s independence.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“One need only mention the word “Balkans” and, I would bet, images stained by bloody wars and brutal crimes will come to everyone’s mind. One would rightly recall the scars of repression and oppression, genocide in Srebrenica and brutal ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. None of that is or will be forgotten. Accountability has and will continue to be called for, and we must redouble our efforts to guarantee its unhindered course. This requires a resolved commitment to the ideals of justice and, above all, to cooperation between parties. Justice lies in the foundations of any effort for long-lasting peace, stability and prosperity. But justice is served with facts, proof and evidence, not with fiction or distorted reality.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This is why, in the face of a such blatant breach of the norms of responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in peacetime, which include refraining from damaging critical infrastructure that provides services to the public, the Government of Albania was left with no other choice but to sever diplomatic relations with Iran. We hope that this forced extreme measure will be an example and a deterrent to anyone who supports or sponsors such abhorrent actions against sovereign States. We urge the United Nations, including the Security Council, to focus more seriously and concretely on addressing cybersecurity by investing in prevention and helping Member States build resilience. Albania is a member of the Balkan community, a part of Europe that has had its share of very troubled history.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Government’s entire digital infrastructure was under sustained and coordinated assault, with the clear aim of destroying it, paralysing public services, stealing data and electronic communications from government systems, creating chaos and fomenting tension in the country. A lengthy and thorough in-depth investigation, conducted in cooperation with the best existing world expertise on cyberterrorism, has now confirmed beyond any doubt that the cyberattack that sought to bring a sovereign country to its knees was a State-sponsored aggression, orchestrated and carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“At a time when a multitude of crises have plunged the world into turmoil, including from unacceptable nuclear threats, I would like to call the attention of the Assembly to another crucial issue, closely linked and with a huge impact on peace and security: cybersecurity. Technology is nowadays part of every aspect of our lives. In Albania, 95 per cent of services to the citizens and business are offered online. These user-friendly systems save time and energy, drastically improve efficiency and quality, and are the best tool to eliminate endemic corruption. Last July, however, Albania was the target of an unprovoked, large-scale cyberattack.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“That is why Albania calls for and supports work towards the adoption of a convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity. That new instrument would fill a significant gap in the current international framework and facilitate international cooperation to protect civilians. The world is never a quiet place and there are many serious challenges that need to be properly and immediately addressed. We face serious challenges from open conflict in many parts of the world. Many countries are subject to intolerable seizure of power by force. Terrorism remains a serious threat to peace and security.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is hard to imagine that anyone here can silently accept such disgraceful disregard of laws, rules, norms and practices that govern relations among States in the twenty-first century. These actions run contrary to international law and not only do not reflect the free will of the Ukrainian people but also offer a miserable show of detachment from everything that brings us together under the roof of the United Nations. We condemn such actions engineered in Moscow and will not recognize any such lawlessness. In the world we want, impunity should not be a shelter for those who must answer for their deeds. Albania is fully committed to accountability globally and to fighting impunity everywhere, not only to provide justice to victims but also to prevent future atrocities.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Their fight is also ours, and I hope that all Members of the United Nations share the core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and the right to independently decide on their own future, without fear or interference. Shying away from this defining battle between those principles and all their antitheses is shying away from the duty to protect ourselves, our countries and our children. While the world expects Russia to come to reason, stop the war and engage in peace negotiations, just a few days ago the Kremlin made another choice, that of escalation, announcing a partial mobilization that would deepen the conflict and bring more crimes, more victims and more misery, but also more shame on Russia itself. Sham referendums are being conducted in some parts of the occupied Ukrainian under the threat of the gun.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Russia’s war of choice is against Ukraine and its people; not only that, but it is also a brutal assault on international Law, a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and a very direct threat to the European security architecture. It is an open battle between an aging, cynical tyranny and a young, growing democracy. While we all, in our own way and with our respective means, try individually and collectively to project ourselves into the future, one country, led by an illusion of grandeur from bygone times, has decided to drag the world backwards and go against everything we have built over decades. This is unacceptable. We will continue to stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and its people, and, like many other countries, help them in any way we can to defend themselves.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We may sometimes have the impression that we say too much of the same thing and that we needlessly and too often repeat each other. I disagree. If committing to peace and security, to development and prosperity, to upholding international law and respecting human rights or to engaging in genuine efforts to mitigate climate change is repeating each other, then we are doing the right thing. Unfortunately, this year our hopes and beliefs have been bitterly shattered and our assurances broken by an unprovoked, unjustified and premeditated war of one country against another on the European continent — the brutal aggression of Russia against its neighbour, Ukraine.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In these nearly eight decades, we have witnessed uninterrupted change, profound transformation, unprecedented mobilization, continued solidarity and an all-time imperative of the need to work together. As a result, the world has known undeniable progress on many tracks. On the other hand, we must never forget that our journey has been bumpy. Many times, we have also witnessed terrible setbacks and even reversals of progress. Unfortunately, this is mainly due to man-made catastrophes, ill-conceived policies based on narrow national politics and short-sighted interests fuelled by populism, nationalism and greed for domination. That is why this place at this time each year is the yearly check-up of the health of the world.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is a particular honour for me to address this session of the General Assembly because I stand here as the representative of a country, Albania, that is currently serving on the Security Council for the first time in its history. That responsibility lends special importance to our role in this organ and beyond. We gather here each September, and 77 years since its establishment, the United Nations has only gained in its universal appeal, serving as the parliament of humankind, the forum where we speak to each other and listen to the world. Like nowhere else, the world converges here. We share our successes and progress, outline issues and challenges, express worries and fears, highlight crises and tensions, and talk about agreements and discords, but above all we bring a joint desire for a better world.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We also owe it to our children, who we believe should learn not just by words but also by deeds that in this life there is a time to get and there is a time to give. As the Nobel Prize laureate, the Albanian saint, Mother Teresa, said, even when we cannot do great things, we can still do small things with great love. We are humbly doing our part.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As dramatic events were unfolding in front of our eyes, we could not stand idle. Despite limited capacities for receiving immigrants, but with unconditional humanitarianism, we opened our doors to Afghan refugees. We did just as we had done in other critical moments of our history, when we saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, thereby becoming the only country in Europe to have more Jews after the war than it had before the war, or when we welcomed half a million of our Kosovo brothers and sisters escaping the hell of ethnic cleansing in 1999. We welcomed Afghan refugees because we have a moral duty to be in solidarity with those in danger. We owe it to our own history as the refugees we were until 30 years ago.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Albania supports a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia that would lead to mutual recognition between two States — two neighbours — as the only alternative. Every day without such an agreement is a day lost, a day stolen from the youth of both countries, a day taken out of their shared future. I say it in a friendly way but with absolute conviction: only wisdom, courage and vision will finally liberate Serbia from the burden of its past. Before concluding, let me say a few words about Afghanistan. It is our duty to do whatever we can not to abandon the Afghan people, who find themselves once more at a crossroads. We must do whatever we can to preserve the undeniable achievements of the last two decades and resist, indeed prevent, any return to the age of the darkness that the world had seen before.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is an invitation to acknowledge the new realities in the heart of Europe, through the Balkans region, where a new State was born, with the help of an international community committed to the cause of freedom, human rights and self-determination. But that work needs to be finished, and I want to reiterate this goal and do so because reality has shown to us— to the Kosovars, to the Serbs, to all the people of the Balkans, to the Europeans, and to everyone anywhere who wants to see that an independent sovereign Kosovo, a reality that is already 13 years strong — has brought more peace and stability to the region than it knew before, contributed to moving on from the bitter past and is undeniably part of the shared future of the Western Balkans.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We are convinced that it will generate economic growth, reduce unemployment, increase trade, investment and employment in the Western Balkans, and last but not least, make peace irreversible and help the resolution of conflicts once and for all. The history of the United Nations is one of uninterrupted enlargement. It started with 50 members in San Francisco, and we are now at 193. Still, this large Assembly is not and will not be complete without one of the States of our region: the Republic of Kosovo. More than once, the General Assembly has heard me call for the recognition of the independence of Kosovo from this rostrum. It is not an obsession, nor do I mention it just to pay lip service to the cause.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I have said it in Tirana, in Brussels and everywhere, and I want to repeat it from this rostrum: Albania has been ready for some time, and it is waiting for the EU to do its part. European integration is a national priority goal. It is also a region-wide aspiration and the source of inspiration in a completely transformed regional context. All six Western Balkan countries have agreed to enhance economic cooperation by developing a common regional market based on EU rules and standards. We have entered the new and ambitious phase of cooperation, and, through the Open Balkan initiative, we are also working to concretely implement the four EU fundamental freedoms — freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital — as proof that our region has taken ownership of those principles.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Further, in support of the objectives of the European Union (EU) Green Deal, Albania and other Western Balkan countries signed two declarations in November 2020, one on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and one on developing a common regional market with a view to making the economy sustainable and climate neutral by 2050. As a net clean-energy producer, Albania is also actively engaged in doing its part to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 45 per cent in the next decade and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The European integration process represents an anchor for Albania’s future, and we look forward to the first intergovernmental conference to be held in accordance with the decision of the European Council to open accession negotiations with Albania.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We do not need to have repeated extreme weather events, catastrophic flooding and unbearable heat waves to understand that the continued loss of biodiversity and the unsustainable use and degradation of ecosystems are causing profound and adverse consequences to millions of people and threatening peace and security. Convinced of the urgency to curb greenhouse-gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in July 2019, Albania became the first country in the region with an endorsed strategy on climate change and related action plans, with policy objectives and concrete actions designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. A special law on climate change was adopted in December 2020.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We share the Secretary-General ‘s concerns in his report entitled Our Common Agenda, and we think that all States Members of the United Nations have the responsibility to contribute to increasing the functionality of multilateral institutions and mechanisms in order to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. It is exactly in this spirit that Albania successfully chaired the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2020, as part of its continuing engagement and efforts to strengthen peace, human rights, cooperation and equality in the OSCE area. The Ministerial Council of Tirana agreed on several new commitments on combating transnational organized crime, countering corruption and preventing torture in the OSCE region. Climate change is another key priority in our national agenda.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Let us remind ourselves that our future, the future of humankind, is shaped by the way we respond and cooperate in the present. Multilateralism is challenged when selfish nationalism prevails. This is one of the most important lessons of the past. Multilateralism can be slow and sometimes frustrating, and it does not always produce quick results, but a world without shared rules, obligations and multilateral institutions is a nightmare that we know all too well. We therefore cannot afford to lose faith in the multilateral system. We must work to reform it, not to undermine it, and certainly not abandon it.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“If the 75 years of long and strong experience of the United Nations has taught us anything, it is that challenges to peace, development, justice, health and security need the contribution of all — rich and poor, big and small. We firmly believe that 75 years after its founding, the United Nations remains the cornerstone of the multilateral rule-based world order. With dialogue and concerted efforts, through the United Nations system as a whole, humankind has made remarkable gains in peace, security and development, in respect for human rights and human dignity, in empowering women and motivating youth, in helping hundreds of millions of people leave poverty behind. We must continue to build on these achievements. The people — our fellow citizens — are right to ask for more, for better and faster initiatives, and we must be up to the task.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The sharp inequality in vaccine access — the only way to stop the virus — has once more highlighted how urgently we need a different approach, with global initiative, inclusiveness, solidarity and fairness, as well as trust in science. That is why we continue to advocate for international cooperation and support the proposal for a new international treaty on pandemic preparedness and response. We must be and stay together and resist any temptation to succumb to isolationism and nationalism. It is urgent that we improve vaccine access for all, because unvaccinated people carry the high risk of enabling the emergence of more dangerous and deadly variants that could reverse the gains so painfully made and expose us all to even more dire consequences.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In that regard, I owe heartfelt thanks to the many who have helped us — to Turkey, which at really difficult moments made it possible for us to obtain the necessary doses to start mass vaccination; to the European Union Commission, which fought hard to speed up the provision of vaccines from the European Union to Albania and the Western Balkans; and also to the Governments of Italy, Greece, Croatia and Latvia, which were there for us with their vaccine donations, and to the Governments of Poland, Austria and Denmark, which have pledged to help us along the way. I cite those examples here in order to remind us all that only a common approach based on deeper solidarity, continued assistance and uninterrupted cooperation will enable us to prevail in this war for life.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As we have seen far too often, without cooperation, solidarity and joint actions, the price we pay, individually and collectively, will only be higher. That is why at the height of the COVID-19 crisis last year, dozens of Albanian doctors and nurses went to Italy to help their colleagues in the Lombardy region; in return, we have been fortunate and grateful to welcome Italian doctors’ assistance in the same fight at home.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is a special pleasure to return to this great house of peace in person and to be able to share our thoughts on today’s world, including my country’s efforts in facing one of our biggest shared challenges, the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has inflicted terrible pain everywhere for more than 18 months. Like every other corner of the world, Albania has suffered from this devastating scourge. Today more than half of the Albanian population is vaccinated, and we expect to have the whole recommended population fully vaccinated within the next 10 months. One of the big lessons of this tragedy is that no country can face it alone, and we now know that no one will be safe until everyone is.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Albania is now a country characterized by a respect for differences, tolerance of different religions and an appreciation of the contribution that every culture brings. We will sit on the Security Council with a clear agenda of priorities that reflect what modern Albania stands for — the promotion of peace and security; the peaceful resolution and mediation of conflict; respect for the rule of law and human rights for all; the increased participation of women and youth in decision-making; universal adherence to and full implementation of all non-proliferation and disarmament treaties and conventions; concrete and continued active commitment to the fight against international terrorism and violent extremism.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is a special honour to deliver this speech as the representative of a country that for the first time in its history is joining the Security Council, as a non-permanent member for the 2022-2023 term. The significance of that event for a State that until not so long ago was considered one of the most isolated and repressive countries in the world, and the sense of responsibility with which we take up that role, cannot be overstated. I would like to start by thanking all the States Members of the United Nations for their overwhelming support and trust. Albania brings to the Security Council the perspective of a small but engaged country, aware of the burdens of the past and the challenges of the future, which has experienced first-hand the limits of isolationism and has discovered the opportunities of multilateral cooperation.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As the new justice system gradually takes shape and becomes fully operational, we hope that it will seriously curtail all acts of corruption and abuse of power and that it will finally ensure the triumph of a sense of justice and the rule of law throughout my country, a country I love deeply and am proud to represent in this Hall today.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“There is one more element that I would be remiss not to mention, which is Albania’s unprecedented justice reform. The process of conducting a major clean-up by removing corrupt judges and prosecutors from the system, as well as establishing new judicial institutions tailored to tackling corruption and organized crime at the highest levels, is transforming the entire face of the country. The decades of corruption in the judiciary not only prevented justice from being served, it also became an impediment to ensuring that justice was the rule of our daily existence as a society.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In addition, we have made great progress in terms of gender equality, with more women than ever before represented in Government, Parliament, regional councils and public administration. I am very proud to say that there are more women than men in my Government, which a good indicator of success. In his memorable visit to Tirana in 2014, Pope Francis advised the youth of Albania to fly higher and higher and higher but never to forget their nest. While that sounds almost like divine advice, it is also an absolutely realistic demand, not only for Albania but it would seem for the entire region. In the context of our broad ambition to convert the brain-drain phenomenon into a process of brain circulation, we are pursuing special programmes to enable the members of our diaspora to anchor their futures in their country of origin.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Indeed, we see it as an important complement to the agenda determined by our efforts to join the European Union. Our national strategy for development and integration combines our agenda for European integration with the 2030 Agenda. We are committed to both these agendas for a very simple reason. We believe that they constitute a road map for modernizing our country and institutions and for elevating our society. Among the most important milestones of that agenda are our action plans on Roma — Egyptians — and on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and persons with disabilities. They contain concrete plans that are being implemented in order to guarantee the rights of these groups, which have very often been unfairly and unjustly marginalized.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“When the first man stepped on the moon in the late 1960s — which, by the way, was a sign not only that humankind was expanding the limits of its universe, but also that it was heading into its future — Albania’s universe was extremely narrow and its orientation was backward. As the most isolated country on earth, Albania was the North Korea of Europe of its day. While the heritage of the past still affects the dynamics of our country in multiple ways, Albania has today joined the nations of the world in trying to build a brighter future by carrying out its institutional tasks in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. My Government considers the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to be an important part of Albania’s vision for development and integration.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“How is it possible that the EU can still hold 2 million people hostage who have fought hard for their freedom and are firmly committed to the EU perspective? I urge the EU to stop this nonsense. On that note, I must also emphasize that the stability, security, prosperity and democracy of the region can be guaranteed only by adopting the European perspective. For this reason, a positive response to Albania and North Macedonia’s ambitions for opening accession talks will not be a mere acknowledgment of their merits, but also strategically the wisest decision by the EU for the EU.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is my sincere hope and daily commitment that the countries of the Western Balkans will manage to break once and for all with their past and work together to build their economies, integrate their markets and provide a better future, thinking and working for their children and ceasing to talk about their ghosts from the past. In that regard, I must underline a fact that I have stressed repeatedly to my European colleagues, which is that it is inexcusable that Kosovo, a country of just 2 million people, remains the only country in Europe today whose people remain isolated from the entire network of the visa-liberalization regime. Since 2014, more than 100 million people have been added to the multitudes of people who can enter the European Union (EU) without a visa.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The time has come for all members of the Assembly — above all our Serbian friends — to recognize Kosovo’s independence, do justice to history and acknowledge reality, as the only reliable basis for building a better, common future. I therefore call on Serbia to recognize that an independent Kosovo is a reality that cannot be reversed and therefore to stop living in denial and make history — for themselves and for the world — by accepting reality. It is also important that Kosovo be given the opportunity to join all international and regional organizations that any independent sovereign country in the world has a right to join.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In order to build stronger ties and streamline cooperation by building a road map for connectivity and mobility in our region, Albania is working closely with Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, and looks forward to working with Serbia, too. However, while the climate for regional cooperation has improved significantly, the open dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia is still an obstacle to the entire region’s potential for development. Regardless of the issues that a young democracy like that of Kosovo might naturally face, it is quite clear that more than a decade after declaring independence, the Republic of Kosovo has managed to build a vibrant democracy and prove itself a reliable regional partner that has never wavered in its Euro-Atlantic commitment.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I therefore call on all nations here today to take positive note of our Security Council bid for 2022. However, having global ambitions does not mean ignoring regional issues. My region of the Western Balkans has a long history of oppression and conflict and suffered under two of the cruellest evils of the twentieth century, communist dictatorships and inter-ethnic wars. As a result, while in the heart of Europe, the Western Balkans is its most underdeveloped region, with a number of disputes that still continue. We especially celebrated the Prespa agreement, which ended a decades-long dispute between Greece and North Macedonia. Albania was actively engaged in making it possible, and we see it as an inspiring example for the settlement of other ongoing disputes.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“For a century Albania has provided a historical example of how harmony among Muslims, whether Sunni or Bektashi, Christians, whether Catholic or Orthodox, and Jews is not only possible but also socially fruitful. Though we are often regarded as a Muslim-majority country, we are also the land of Mother Teresa, now Saint Teresa, who is our highest national symbol and most distinguished daughter. Perhaps it is her human solidarity and commitment to universal goodness that should still guide us as we face the great threats to peace and security all over the world today. Given its exceptional historical record and now very mature multilateral experience, Albania is no longer concealing its ambition to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2022 and 2023.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“No country is too small to take on its global responsibilities, regardless of its population, size or geographic location. Albania will build on its multilateral experience by taking on and increasing its multilateral commitments. Next year Albania will chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for 2020, with a special focus on the protracted conflicts in and around Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria, to mention only a few. Albania will also devote special attention to fighting any form of discrimination, particularly anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, by relying on its exemplary interreligious tolerance, and by strengthening the role of women in peacebuilding activities, reflecting our nation’s feminist spirit.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The small terrorist groups that may seem to have finally disappeared can still retain their capacity to launch brutal attacks. Neither the size of their territory nor their geographic location should prevent the world’s nations from carrying out their responsibilities and meeting their obligations. Albania is particularly concerned about Iran’s destabilizing behaviour in the Middle East, but also by its often disruptive actions with regard to the Iranian opposition community, which has suffered despicable massacres and which my country is now generously hosting. We have had to respond firmly to various illicit activities against our national security interests and we stand firmly with countries that have been hurt by such activities, whether at sea or on land.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)