YouSaid · the spoken record

Andrej Babiš

lines on the record: 38
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2020-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“Thank you for your attention and I wish you good health, endless energy and positive motivation for our joint effort.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“From the outset, the government of the Czech Republic had the ambition to help our businesses in their struggles while taking swift measures to advise our citizens on how to protect themselves and to repatriate home those stranded abroad. Based on a number of deaths due to COVID-19 per 1 million people we belong to the top countries in Europe. We have not won yet. None of our countries has defeated the virus. The development is rather dynamic and the number of new cases rises every day. The upcoming months will be very hard. Nevertheless, I am sure we will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, just like we will overcome other global issues we are facing today. We, the Czech Republic, are ready to work with all of you, the UN Member States, making our world safer, cleaner and more prosperous.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Czech Republic has its own experience with political transformation and democratization. We are sincerely proud of what we have managed to achieve not only in the context of the current crisis, but also, and in the first place, of the way we have become a prosperous, safe and innovative society in the thirty years since the Velvet Revolution. Now we belong to the democratic world, we are responsible members of NATO, the EU, and other international organizations. In every respect, we are a successful country. We have witnessed some very encouraging success stories even in fighting against the most recent invisible enemy we all need to fight.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We therefore welcome the recent agreement to normalize bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. We hope this historic diplomatic achievement will enhance peace and stability in the Middle East. The Czech Republic wishes for more realism to be introduced into the way this issue is perceived within the UN. Let me mention one more topic of concern — Belarus. I strongly believe that every society should be able to decide on its future by free and democratic elections. Independent media and civil society are crucial as they provide real-time information, document election frauds and brutality of security forces. An intra-Belarusian dialogue is the only way of resolving the crisis. Its logical outcome should be new elections.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Our security activities focus on the EU Training Mission in Mali where we have the second largest contingent. We have also established a new national programme with a total budget of €12 million to address root causes of migration in African countries of origin and transit, as well as to support socio-economic development of this region. The Czech Republic has an extensive and long-term engagement in stabilization assistance to unsteady areas of the Middle East. Currently, we participate, for example, in training missions in Iraq, providing assistance to refugees in the region and their host countries (approximately $6 million in 2020), and most recently we provided humanitarian assistance to Lebanon following the explosion in the port of Beirut.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The coronavirus pandemic has truly shaken our world. Unfortunately, it is not the only global political problem of today. Wars and fighting are going on. The Czech Republic, together with a majority of Member States, has endorsed the Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire. This is the time for peace. Promotion of international peace, rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes are our key foreign policy objectives. Effective conflict prevention and mediation are the essential tools. We are concerned about the instability in the Sahel region. The international community must continue its joint effort to assist this region. Our main goal is to empower our local partners. The Czech Republic is an active member of the Small Group in the Global Coalition against Daesh and also in the emerging Coalition for the Sahel.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We need decision-making structures that can act swiftly in crisis and the necessary civilian and operational capabilities to carry out these decisions. But our healthy future is not only about the economy or crisis management. It is also about information. The Czech Republic, like many other countries not merely in Europe, has had its own unfortunate experience with cyber-attacks against our hospitals. These acts simply make the effects of the pandemic worse. We call on all countries to work together through the UN to protect hospitals and other critical civilian infrastructure from future cyber-attacks. There is no better time than now to show that the international community will not tolerate aggressive cyber behaviour and that it is ready to work in a coordinated manner to become more resilient.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“If we want to succeed on a global scale, Europe has to establish itself as a tech industry leader, which is a very difficult task in the face of the current competition, especially from the US and Chinese companies. Nevertheless, where there is a will there is a way. Europe has shown it can be a global leader in many specific areas like in tackling climate change. The global pandemic has overshadowed many global issues that have not disappeared. Europe will eventually have to deal with illegal migration, Brexit or extensive foreign and security challenges. The European continent as such has to accept more responsibility, particularly in the area of its defense policy, in order to become a more strategically autonomous security player capable of taking a more independent action, especially in its own neighborhood.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“As mentioned before, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic implications, Europe will have to redefine its role in the world. The political decisions the EU is now making to deal with the crisis will shape the future of the European project and the role of the EU as a global player in the coming years. However, as we have already heard today, every crisis is an opportunity. Within the EU we have agreed on the unprecedented European Recovery Plan that should help EU member states in facing the current crisis, which is economically comparable to the one in the 1930s. Just like 90 years ago, the best way out of a crisis is to invest through it. We have to use vast amounts of money to make Europe more sustainable and innovative.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Czech Republic has an extremely open, globally highly integrated economy and as such we have always been in favour of a strong, rules based international trade system. The capacity and ability of global economic institutions will be further tested to address large-scale economic problems. However, one thing is clear — we need a stronger and more effective WTO with updated rules and their enforcement. Achieving a credible reform of the WTO will require engagement of all member states and political capital investment by world leaders. The Czech Republic, mainly through the EU, will make every effort to enforce the existing international trade rules in the shadow of rising global trade tensions and protectionist measures. Our ambition is as open international trade as possible.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“And of course Czech scientists have been actively collaborating with their colleagues from abroad (from Israel, Germany or the U.S.) not only in the nanotechnology field. But as we are in the global arena, let me revert to more universal issues. The pandemic has accelerated three major global trends that undermine effective multilateralism: 1) global geopolitical confrontation, 2) increasing political and economic fragmentation, 3) a clash between personal freedoms and technological surveillance, including the tendency for a faster introduction of artificial intelligence into the health sector. The COVID-19 crisis is not only a huge health crisis, but has profound economic consequences.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This pandemic, which so badly needs efficient crisis management both at national and international level, shows us how essential it is to increase our investment in scientific research, technology development and innovation to prepare better for addressing future crises faster and much more efficiently. Equally important is multilateral cooperation in data sharing and in mobility of researchers. The Czech Republic has contributed to the global effort to fight the virus in a coordinated way. Just one example: Czech researchers have focused on application of nanotechnology in constructing facemasks. The technology, developed in the Czech Republic, has been used in other parts of the world.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We call for a coordinating role of the UN in this matter in order to ensure that these initiatives are complementary, not clashing with one another. History shows that crises and competition are engines of progress. I agree. I myself was a successful businessman and I understand business opportunities. But sometimes business considerations are not the most important. There are times when all stakeholders must conduct research and development especially carefully and responsibly. Research and innovation are of great importance and not only in the context of the search for a vaccine and medical treatment of COVID-19.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The WHO has failed even in the fields it is usually praised for — in the application of its epidemiological expertise and medical know-how in order to help governments tackle virus outbreaks. Confusing recommendations by the WHO regarding wearing facemask is only one example of its questionable role during the past months. To put it shortly, we have been again reminded of the necessity of a reform of international mechanisms to fight pandemic situations. It will not be an easy task and it deserves a lot of attention from experts as well as us, top politicians. But I declare that the Czech Republic supports such a reform and will actively contribute to it. Let me mention one example of a concrete need for a better-coordinated action: We are witnessing a proliferation of initiatives regarding access to the COVID-19 vaccine.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Czech Republic remains a strong supporter of the UN Secretary-General in his reforms towards a more effective, transparent and responsible UN. We are in favour of an open discussion on a revision of the multilateral health architecture. This revision needs to be based on a fair and objective evaluation of the international response to the pandemic. Unfortunately, and I say it with regret, the response we have seen by the World Health Organization has failed to exercise global health leadership. It did not act resolutely after the pandemic outbreak in Wuhan, China, and had a very limited success — to put it softly — in helping countries prevent, protect against, and respond to disease events.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Respecting the UN Charter by all States is a prerequisite of a rules based international system, which is crucial for our peaceful coexistence on the planet. The world has changed since 1945. Today we are facing an extraordinary pandemic situation, which has become a stress-test for our ability to cooperate in a coordinated, multilateral manner. It is exactly at times of such challenges that we need to be able to reach a high degree of mutual understanding. We should not pretend that everything works perfectly. There are systemic limitations and weaknesses to our global system. It is clear that a substantial reform is necessary. That is why I see the current health crisis as an opportunity — an opportunity to put forward ambitious reforms that will allow us to “build back better”.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, This year is different, and so is this session. The 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations is an opportunity for world leaders to talk about the future. But, before I do that, allow me to look back. 75 years ago, the tragedies of the Second World War led to creating a new global system based on the UN Charter. The UN as such, the only truly universal international organisation, stands as the pillar of the post-war international order. I am very proud that Czechoslovakia, and subsequently the Czech Republic of today, was among its fifty original founders. Moreover, it was a Czechoslovak diplomat, Mr Jan Papanek, who was in the group of 14 experts that finalized the text of the UN Charter.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“I am fully aware of President Erdogan’s recent statement that he will release 1 million Syrian refugees to Europe if there is no buffer zone in northern Syria. I personally support his plan for a secure corridor in Syria. I think we can improve the situation if we in the EU continue to discuss the issue with President Erdogan. And we cannot forget that we have to be able to speak to Syria. One of the main slogans of our 1989 revolution was “Back to Europe”. Thirty years ago, the Czech Republic returned to where it historically belonged. Today it is therefore playing its part within the United Nations and globally. I hope we can work on that together.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We have introduced a new financial programme for our entrepreneurs, which makes it much easier to invest in developing countries, because investment is the key to employment and development. For a long time we have been active in Syria, where we were the only EU country to maintain an open embassy headed by an ambassador throughout the conflict. To date, 5.6 million people have left Syria and 6.2 million have had to leave their homes. I think that Europe must find a common language for discussion with President Erdogan. It is important to encourage him to pursue a concrete plan for refugees from Syria, and it is essential to establish peace in the region and make the region liveable again by building apartments, hospitals and schools instead of refugee camps. We must begin discussions with Turkey to that end.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We want people to have a better and safer life at home. We therefore support the long-term direct stabilization of turbulent areas, through rapid humanitarian aid and continuing development cooperation, which the Czech Republic provides in many places around the world. That is also why we support open and free international trade, which is a source of economic growth and the best instrument for reducing poverty. We are now engaged in Africa much more actively than before. The Czech Republic has opened an embassy in Bamako, and we are helping to stabilize the security situation in Mali, although unfortunately many people incorrectly think that we care only about our interests in Central and Eastern Europe.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Although we have reduced the second wave of migration by deepening our cooperation with Turkey to try to decrease the influx of migrants from conflict zones in the Middle East and Afghanistan, it is definitely not a systemic solution to the problem. It is not enough to tackle the consequences and effects of these crises. Above all, we must address and eliminate their causes. Refugees must be motivated to return home, and that will only happen when their homes give them hope again. That is why we support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They will help us to eradicate the reasons that lead people to flee war zones or leave economies that are unable to provide them with decent lives. The problem of migration must be addressed at its roots.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Wars in Syria and Yemen, conflicts in Afghanistan and Libya, and civil strife in Africa and Latin America all result in terrible suffering and hardship for an enormous number of people. Those problems affect us all and cannot be ignored. In that regard, the United Nations has a unique responsibility, and it is especially true for the Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining peace and security around the globe. The question is, of course, whether the Council is fit for the task, as its current practices are sometimes slow and do not provide a flexible response. Today migration is the one of the main issues worldwide. Since the large migration crisis in 2015, it has been a major political issue for the European Union and for my country.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Adapting to climate change and working on mitigating its negative effects is the main task ahead of all of us. But we must also focus on other challenges, which are complex and interconnected. Let us not forget that more than 800 million people are still starving this year. Approximately 785 million people lack basic access to drinking water. This year alone, more than 5.5 million children aged under five are going to die. Around 750 million adults are illiterate, two thirds of them women, and around 250 million children still have no opportunity to attend school. People living in extreme poverty make up 8.6 per cent of the global population. The whole area stretching from North Africa to the wider Middle East is a region rife with conflict and instability.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Our citizens have given us a mandate to ensure that we maintain prosperous economies and protect our environment. Our citizens also expect us to provide them with productive and sustainable jobs that they will not lose due to decreased competitiveness, which will occur if our countries adopt tougher, more ambitious measures to combat climate change than the rest of the world does. After all, we cannot ignore the fact that in many cases, reducing emissions simply means exporting jobs to other countries. That is unacceptable. The economy of the Czech Republic is heavily dependent on industry, and although we are investing a great deal in new technologies, decreasing our dependency on coal and strengthening low-emission energy sources, we must consider technological, economic and sociological factors as well as environmental ones.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We should keep in mind that while Europe decreased its carbon-dioxide emissions by 20 million tons in 2018 and Europe’s share of global carbon-dioxide emissions is only 9 per cent, the rest of the world increased its carbon-dioxide emissions by a factor of 52, to 1.02 billion tons. Recent analysis has shown that only a few of the 185 States that ratified the Paris Agreement in 2015 are actually fulfilling their commitments. It is crucial that nations honour their commitments, and as members of the United Nations, we have a joint responsibility for our planet. However, as leaders of our respective countries, we also have a responsibility towards our own citizens and economies. It is unfortunate that in our discussions we sometimes forget that the European economy is very dependent on its industry.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We must also be open-minded in looking into other zero-carbon sources such as nuclear energy. My country’s only other option is the nuclear one, and we must keep the sovereignty of our energy mix intact. Climate change is a popular topic around the world these days, and the arguments are correct in many ways. Greta Thunberg has made many interesting observations, but I am not sure that emotional displays, hysterical theatrics and sometimes even aggressive speech lead to a rational discussion, and it is an unfair generalization to say that nobody is doing anything. That is not true. Many of us are doing what we promised in our commitments, and Greta Thunberg should differentiate more carefully between them, because otherwise, she is not being helpful.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The cost of significant emission reductions is extremely high because we are dependent on fossil- fuel alternatives such as solar and wind energy, which are generally not efficient enough. In that respect, therefore, the young protesters are right. The world is failing to tackle climate change. But their approach, which emphasizes even greater commitments to reduce carbon emissions, will also fail, because green energy is still not ready. The sun and wind currently provide less than 1 per cent of the world’s energy and already require $129 billion annually in subsidies. The world should invest more in green- energy research and development so that the price of renewables falls below that of fossil fuels and naturally encourages an energy transition.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Those who contribute the most to the environmental pollution that leads to climate change must find the political courage to participate in the solution. At the same time, we cannot and will not harm the very best of our economies. Although the EU has half a billion inhabitants, on its own it cannot be the solution in a world in which more than 7.5 billion people live. And soon there will be many more. The EU is leading by example and must therefore say loud and clear that other nations must take the necessary political decisions. The main economic models for the European Union’s plans to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 estimate the average annual cost to be at least $1.4 trillion.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are significantly reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions and this year, for example, we hosted the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Prague for the first time and adopted the Prague Declaration, which emphasizes scientific cooperation for a better understanding of how climate change works and how we can deal with it. The Czech Republic is also fully committed to the quest for a long-term strategy for achieving carbon neutrality. As a whole, the European Union is ready to substantially change its economy to achieve carbon neutrality, but it cannot solve that burning issue without the help of the rest of the world. Europe cannot remain alone as the most ambitious actor in its struggle to adapt its economies to imminent climate change. We have only one planet, and its protection must be a common endeavour shared by all.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We also need a strategy for further integration of a broader Schengen Area and the enlargement of the EU. As a key global player in recent years, the EU must work more efficiently and strive to be more functional. We all realize that in the near future the consequences of climate change may affect our countries more than ever before. The effects will be not only environmental but also economic, social and ultimately political. We have a huge task ahead of us. Like all EU countries, the Czech Republic fully supports the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and we will fulfil our commitments.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The second is trade relations, specifically with the United States, and in my view it is regrettable that the previous trade talks between the EU and the United States, which is a natural ally of ours, have led nowhere. I believe the EU needs a major new trade agreement with the United States as soon as possible, similar to the one that President Trump promised the United Kingdom in his address to the Assembly (see A/74/PV.3). The third issue is the completion of the EU internal market, where the potential for European GDP growth is 1.7 per cent, the equivalent of €235 billion. Fourthly, we must address external security, and specifically the issues of regaining control over migration flows — including migration from the African continent — relations with Turkey, the situations in Syria and Libya and our relationship with Russia.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Unfortunately, the European Union is not very efficient at the moment, and I would like to change that. In my view, we should be more active in addressing foreign policy, international trade, and migration from the Middle East and Africa. More precisely, all Member States, not just the largest, should actively engage with the President of the European Commission, as has been the case in the past five years. In future, the EU’s highest political body, the European Council, where European Presidents and Prime Ministers meet, should act as a European coalition Government. It should seek solutions and give very clear guidance on the EU’s major challenges. Those challenges include, first, the issue of Brexit, for which a fair and functional deal between the United Kingdom and the EU must be found.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Our regional group, the Visegrad Group, of which the Czech Republic currently holds the presidency, represents 65 million citizens from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. We share common values and understand one another’s problems, and therefore have been successful in promoting our interests and positions within the EU. I strongly believe that our region can make a major contribution to making Europe stronger. We want to be more active in addressing Europe’s major challenges. We want a strong and united Europe. The European Union is the second largest economy in the world and has essentially become its most successful peace project. I am very fond of the idea of making war unthinkable and materially impossible, despite the fact that the notion is more than 60 years old.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Under that motto we will present a national economic strategy in which we will link science, industry, energy and education and include the application of the most advanced technologies, from the full digitization of the economy to the implementation of artificial intelligence in many sectors. By the way, the very word “robot” is a Czech invention, coined by the Czech writer Karel Capek back in 1921. Our goal is to become a European leader in innovation and artificial intelligence and a country that can serve as an example to the rest of the world. Thirty years after being liberated from the communists, the countries of Central Europe have become great neighbours.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In the 2019 Social Progress Index’s latest assessment of 149 countries, the Czech Republic ranks twenty-fourth in terms of quality of life, which is an improvement by two places compared to last year. The most recent Allianz Euro Monitor ranks the Czech economy as the fourth most stable in the EU. All of those successes confirm both our ambitions and our skills. We have a clear vision for 2030 that is based on ensuring major support for research, development and innovation. Accordingly, as a Government, we approved an innovation strategy under the motto “Czech Republic: the country for the future”.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Unfortunately, after the collapse of communism, our inexperienced elite made mistakes and wasted a lot of time and resources when it could have been learning from other countries. But we got back on track thanks to the efforts and goodwill of our citizens, our small and large companies and our entrepreneurs and workers. Today the Czech Republic is the seventh-safest country in the world. Our economy is growing fast, we have the lowest unemployment rate in the EU, our economic growth is well above the EU average, and the ratio of our public debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is the fourth-lowest in the European Union. Our public finances are in very good shape, and in many respects we can serve as an example. The Czech Republic is ranked seventh among the countries listed in the 2019 SDG Index in The Sustainable Development Report 2019.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“For 30 years now we have enjoyed the freedom to elect our representatives, express our opinions, exchange our ideas and partake of a free and independent media. The Czech people have forged a great nation. We are talented, hardworking, and we do not give up easily. We are very proud of the heritage of the First Czechoslovak Republic, which was established in 1918. In fact, between the two world wars, the Czech Republic was among the most advanced and prosperous countries in the world. Our automotive, engineering, food, textile, footwear and military industries ranked among the best in the world. Such companies and brands as Bata, Skoda Auto, JAWA Moto and the Czechoslovak arms manufacturer Zbrojovka CZ have remained famous to this day.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Thirty years ago, my country, the Czech Republic, and the entire region of Central Europe, regained freedom. This year we are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Vaclav Havel, whose name has become known to the whole world, grew to be the symbol of that revolution. In 1989, we were under the rule of a foreign empire. Our country, once known for its strong industry, was struggling. Its landscape and nature were being destroyed, and its political system was unresponsive to citizens. Yet, 10 years later, our country was able to join NATO, and, in 2004, the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union (EU). The communist regime was replaced by a democracy that now boasts a thriving civil society and a booming economy.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)