YouSaid · the spoken record

Hoxha

lines on the record: 1,795
first: 2014-02-19
most recent: 2023-12-29
sittings or episodes: 264
sources: un-security-council

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

“Only a few days ago, the President of the European Commission reiterated the key message that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future is in the European Union, and the work carried out during its first year as a candidate country is a testimony of the country’s capacity to deliver. Also, the Berlin process summit held in Tirana on 16 October reconfirmed the accelerated path of the entire region towards the European Union. Despite that positive trend, it is utterly troubling to note that the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, has continued to stoke ethnic tensions and promote his secessionist agenda. His destabilizing rhetoric and irresponsible actions continue to undermine the country’s constitutional order. Mr.”
2023-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9466 (2023) · source
“The mission has an important and crucial role for the stability and security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. Despite difficulties and challenges, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made important progress. Thanks to continued efforts, including the contribution of High Representative Schmidt, the post-election governments and parliaments are established. The central Government and the Parliamentary Assembly have accelerated the pace of adoption of legislation relevant to the fulfilment of the 14 key priorities required for European integration. Those priorities include indispensable reforms for economic growth, job creation, the achievement of development goals and the fight against corruption.”
2023-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9466 (2023) · source
“Let me join others in congratulating you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of November and in assuring you of our support. We warmly congratulate Brazil and its team on a remarkable presidency during the past month and their outstanding efforts in steering the Council in a most challenging time. We welcome the presence of the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Željko Komšić, to this meeting. I thank the High Representative, Mr. Christian Schmidt, for the report shared with the Council, and we highly appreciate and support his continued efforts and active engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We welcome the renewal of the mandate of the European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2023-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9466 (2023) · source
“We reiterate our call for Russia to stop the war, withdraw all its troops from the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and seriously engage in a genuine and just peace process, because war is not a solution — even less so a war of choice, of convenience and of aggression, such as the war that Russia continues to wage in Ukraine.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“A meeting of 66 countries was held a few days ago in Malta, confirming the growing support for a path to a just peace, as called for in the General Assembly resolution (resolution ES-11/6). As this war moves into its second full winter, we should acknowledge the unavoidable reality that the outcome in Ukraine will significantly determine whether our world will be governed by laws or by sheer violence. That is why we should be grateful for the extraordinary sacrifices of Ukrainians to defend justice, liberty and law.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“Now it seems the Russian army is being Wagnerized, recruiting criminals and giving them weapons and a uniform to go to fight in Ukraine, which as we know, has proven a meat-grinder experience for many of them. Whoever has committed crimes must be held accountable and face justice, and accountability is an inescapable component of the peace talks, as it makes any peace efforts realistic, human and sustainable. Despite the challenges of the war imposed on it, Ukraine has firmly cast its economic, cultural and political future with Europe, something that Russia has tried to prevent over years but is now inadvertently speeding up. We support the peace formula proposed by President Zelenskyy.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“Last Friday, the Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine briefed the Council in an Arria Formula meeting on torture, killings, unlawful confinement and other serious offences committed by Russian troops in the territory of Ukraine. The reports once again show that Russian forces have committed a wide range of violations, many of which amount to war crimes, and the situation may get worse. A few days ago, the Russian Defence Ministry revealed that it has been recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine, apparently taking over from the mercenary Wagner Group, which was the first to adopt the practice last year. After the mutiny last June, the Wagner Group was absorbed into the Russian army.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“It is precisely under those circumstances that Russia decided to dismantle the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the single positive development in the course of the war, as confirmed by everyone — the United Nations and those benefiting from it. As clearly explained by Mr. Rajasingham, the humanitarian situation is expected to deteriorate further in the coming months, with the winter and freezing temperatures bringing additional challenges and risks to people already facing harsh conditions. Protecting critical infrastructure facilities and ensuring people’s safety therefore become primary tasks. We commend United Nations agencies and other partners in the humanitarian community for the immense work they are doing to assist people in need.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“As we all know, the economic effects of the war are not limited to Ukraine only. While one may say with certainty that there is never a good time for a war — even less so for a war of aggression — the timing of Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022 was particularly brutal. Countries around the world were timidly attempting to return to normality after two gruelling years of the pandemic. They were faced with trade disruption, food insecurity, a rise in commodity prices and other negative impacts, which have not stopped. For as long as this war of choice goes on, there will be further harm, as it drives food insecurity and poverty to perilous levels, leaving lasting scars on the global economy, including Russia’s economy.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“The war has pushed 7.1 million people into poverty, undoing 15 years of progress. The World Food Programme estimates that one in three Ukrainian households is food insecure, and the situation is worse in some areas of the east and south. The job market has been decimated following Russia’s destruction of infrastructure such as ports and manufacturing plants, but also as a result of the slowdown or cessation of economic activity, including agriculture. Also, 15 per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war population has been forcibly displaced, leaving a large void in the national workforce. We all know that war destroys farms, erodes soil and displaces farmers. Huge parts of the land have been heavily mined as well. That is particularly damaging in a part of the world known as the breadbasket of Europe.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“Innocent civilians continue to be cruelly caught in the conflict, with almost 23,000 casualties since the start of the war. Moreover, the signature attack of the Russian war — the deliberate targeting of Ukraine’s vital infrastructure — has continued. Residential areas, homes, schools and hospitals are constantly being targeted by missile and drone attacks. The damage inflicted to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure alone — and let us remember that it is civilian infrastructure — amounts to $10 billion. Russia’s brutal invasion has driven millions into poverty and has seriously affected Ukraine’s economy. Since the start of the war, people’s incomes have plummeted. In 2022, the proportion of the population living in poverty soared from 5.5 per cent to 24.2 per cent, according to the World Bank.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“I thank Director Rajasingham for the detailed and substantial briefing. While the world, including the United Nations and the Security Council, has the dramatic events unfolding in the Middle East as its primary focus, we must not forget that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine has not stopped, that the suffering of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine continue, and that the humanitarian needs for the population there only keep rising. That is why this meeting is important, and I thank France and Ecuador for calling it. Twenty months of uninterrupted war have caused extreme harm to civilians, leaving millions without access to food, water and other essential supplies.”
2023-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9464 (2023) · source
“The next war will only be deadlier. But it is preventable if we all work together, with conviction and in good faith, for peace — lasting peace.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We need to start thinking about how the fabric of the society can be repaired so that children know what shalom means, instead of being raised to hear and repeat “Death to the Jews”. If not, the Hamas of today will be replaced only by the Hamas of tomorrow, maybe with another name, but with the same hatred, ideology and goals, embroiled in a never-ending cycle of hurting the other, acting falsely in the name of God, which they disrespect, and in the name of a future that they simply oppose. That is why the political process should be revived as soon as possible, because in its absence there can only be unhappiness, poverty, discrimination, hatred, tension, never-ending violence, victims and, as has happened many times, exploitation by terrorists, extremists and their supporters. And let us not fool ourselves.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“That must be resisted, because it can only bring the region and all the countries involved to the brink of catastrophe. In that respect, we are also very concerned about the situation in the West Bank. We condemn the extremist settler violence against Palestinians, which is totally unacceptable. Such acts must be fully investigated and those responsible held accountable. In the face of so much complexity and adversity, we believe it is urgent that we start thinking about the Gaza of tomorrow — a Gaza without Hamas or extremists. Palestinian civilians in Gaza need to be offered prospects and a new organization of life under a new administration. Hamas has let them down. Hamas has brought war to them. Hamas did not bring them prosperity, because it invested in tunnels and rockets and in hatred and death.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“No one should be indifferent or allow rallies to take place in which people chant “Kill the Jews” or “Destroy Israel”. That is why there is such a great need for wisdom, responsibility and action both on the ground and in the Council. Because otherwise confusion, hatred, tensions and violence will continue not only in Gaza and the West Bank but elsewhere, dividing societies in the Middle East and beyond, fuelled by strong emotions, ideologies and beliefs, overpowering cool heads and reason and overshadowing forward- looking perspectives. Last but not least, there is a serious risk of a spillover. Hizbullah is playing with fire, and attacks from the northern border are becoming increasingly threatening. If that continues, it may be only a matter of time before a point of no return is reached.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We believe and hope that there is and must be a way to ensure the security of Israel and its people while ensuring security and prospects for all Palestinians who do not want war. Beyond the tragedy unfolding in Israel and Gaza, the magnitude of the human suffering is affecting people across borders and identities, and we have noticed a sharp increase in hate and division, including through threats of terrorism and targeted violence. That sharp and often confusing polarization fails to acknowledge our common humanity and the fact that the killing of innocent civilians, regardless of their religion or ethnic background, is wrong and unacceptable. The frightening images of the bloodthirsty mob yesterday in Dagestan hunting for Jewish people is another appalling illustration of the intolerable increase in antisemitism.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We feel for the Palestinians who for decades, every time they neared the horizon of their future in their State, were met with the opposition of those against it, who were always quicker to disrupt it and push it further away. We feel for the thousands on both sides of this terrible divide who have lost their loved ones, as well as the families of the hostages and all who have been torn apart by death, grief and the insecurity of tomorrow. Wars are sometimes unavoidable because they are imposed, but they are always brutal. They bring inevitable destruction. They create victims and sadly, often casualties among people who do not deserve it. But even wars have laws, and they must be respected.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“I do not think that anyone here or anywhere would feel at ease knowing that their next-door neighbour was lying in wait for the right moment to kill them. How can that not bring back horrible memories and the fear and anxiety that were summarized in the “never again” pledge? But in the very same way, we are also putting ourselves in the Palestinians’ shoes, feeling the inexplicable pain of the civilians caught in the war that has befallen them — a war first imposed by Hamas and their like and decided elsewhere, by their masters, who are rubbing their hands in the face of the casualties they had anticipated and hoped for as the turmoil of every possible danger unfolds.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“Thirdly, unhindered humanitarian aid at scale must be urgently provided to all those in need. We cannot contemplate children dying in hospitals because of the lack of medicine, electricity, water or communications. We cannot contemplate the lack of food for entire families, adding to an already difficult situation the total breakdown of law and order because of the lack of basic commodities. The Government of Israel has promised that aid will flow in abundance soon. It should happen immediately. Those who are spared from the fighting do not need to die of hunger. We are trying to put ourselves in Israel’s shoes, feeling the trauma of terror striking with a ferocity that one cannot forget and faced with an existential question, with countries and proxies that are seeking openly to destroy it.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We profoundly regret every innocent life lost, without distinction. While circumstances may be different, a loss is always a loss. Therefore, there is a need for maximum precaution not to harm those who are doubly in danger: from Hamas and its policies on the one hand, and from a fight that they have not chosen on the other. It is therefore extremely important and urgent to do everything possible so that civilian populations are not found in that hopeless place from which there is no escape. Secondly, nothing can ever justify abducting innocent people — children, women and the elderly — and holding them hostage, and even less using them as Hamas is doing. They must be liberated. They must be brought home. We welcome efforts by various actors in that respect and urge them to continue.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“In the current utterly complex situation, there is an accumulation of competing urgencies — the response to terror and the continued rocket launches from Gaza, the liberation of hostages, the protection of civilians, the provision of humanitarian aid and the increased risk of the conflict’s spillover. Let me quickly go through each of them. First, in its exercise of the right of self-defence, which we recognize and support like every other country under attack, Israel is determined to eradicate Hamas. That should not be portrayed mistakenly as a licence to punish Palestinians. It is beyond any doubt that conducting war in such a densely populated area as Gaza is difficult, challenging and very demanding, and that it must be conducted prudently, professionally and in compliance with international humanitarian law.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“Let me thank Commissioner- General Lazzarini, Executive Director Russell and Ms. Doughten for the information provided. We pay tribute to them and their work and teams on the ground, and mourn the loss of more than 60 United Nations workers in the line of duty. The past three weeks have been dramatic for Israelis and Palestinians and a torment for the Middle East and many people elsewhere. The overall death toll in terms of civilian casualties is frightening and unsustainable. We extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of all victims, Israelis and Palestinians alike. The day of 7 October will remain a defining moment in the never-quiet history of the Middle East. Hamas, its brutality and terror — the worst human behaviour — will not and must not be forgotten.”
2023-10-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9462 (2023) · source
“We will continue to work in good faith to have the Council act on this critical issue in a balanced and fair manner and discharge its responsibilities, but also maintain its deeply affected credibility.”
2023-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9453 (2023) · source
“We therefore deeply regret that the Security Council was prevented from deciding on a text that provides for the urgently needed humanitarian pauses and humanitarian corridors. This veto will not help the people in Gaza. It will not help those taken hostage. It will not help humanitarian workers, and it will not make it easier for the United Nations on the ground. And as the Security Council proves unable to take the right decisions, we know the result — Hamas and other terrorists and extremist groups will feel empowered because there is no internationally agreed condemnation and there is no global sanctioning of the unacceptable. Despite these successive failures, we must not lose hope. We cannot renounce because it is not only our job, it is our responsibility.”
2023-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9453 (2023) · source
“Albania deeply regrets that the draft resolution was vetoed. We know that perfection is the enemy of good. There are times when the urgency of the matter and the complexity of the issue requires swift action and for doing the best possible under the given circumstances, even though one would have liked and hoped for more. This draft resolution was certainly one of those cases because there is a time to draw a line in order to make actions matter and have the impact we are seeking. The United States draft resolution may not have been ideal. We supported it as an improved and reasonable way forward at this time, at this very particular moment, responding to critical issues and urgent needs as the best possible way to condemn terrorism and to respond to the urgency to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid on the ground.”
2023-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9453 (2023) · source
“We thank the United States for their work and genuine efforts in narrowing the differences as much as possible in order to respond to the urgency of the situation on the ground. We welcomed the balanced draft resolution (S/2023/792), which condemns the terrorist attack of Hamas and calls for the liberation of hostages, expresses sympathy for all innocent victims, reaffirms the right of States to self-defence, in compliance with the obligations under international law and calls for the protection of civilians and for humanitarian pauses and humanitarian corridors in order to ensure unhindered humanitarian aid to those in need. It also welcomes the efforts of all regional and international actors to avoid a spillover and reaffirms the commitment to a political solution to the Middle East conflict.”
2023-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9453 (2023) · source
“The EU- mediated dialogue is therefore a priceless opportunity that is to the detriment of no one and to the benefit of all: Kosovo, Serbia and the entire region.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“Those who want to gamble and hijack the future of Serbia and Kosovo as neighbours leaving in peace and cooperation, which impacts the entire region, must be held to account. It is imperative to look forward, project forward and move forward. As we heard today from President Osmani-Sadriu, Kosovo is fully committed to implementing the agreement by walking the extra mile, in line with their Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We expect Serbia to do the same and in good faith, for its own sake, that of the region and for the future we all need and want. Let me end by quoting John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who said that “change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past are certain to miss the future”. Too much time has been lost; too much precious time has been wasted. Failure to move on has a price that will be billed to the next generation.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“It may be fragile, especially knowing that extremists, surfing on populist narratives, may try to derail it. In February last year, Kosovo and Serbia agreed to normalize relations through a binding agreement brokered by the EU, concluded in Ohrid and Brussels. While implementation has been slow, we welcome the establishment of a joint monitoring committee. It should be fully functioning. We also welcome the declaration on missing persons, a crucial process to bring closure to the pain of those concerned. The agreement must be implemented, quickly and fully. Those who stand in the way of the process of the dialogue of normalization between Kosovo and Serbia must be resisted. Those who think that they can solve the issues through manipulation, threats and war games must be sanctioned.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“A full and thorough investigation is therefore needed, as called for by many, including my country, and as requested in a recent resolution of the European Parliament, so that truth and responsibility are properly and clearly established, perpetrators held to account and no one thinks again to go down that slippery and dangerous slope. This is the last meeting on this issue during our term in the Council. Next year will mark a quarter of a century since Kosovo and Serbia parted ways for good. They will never be under the same roof again, but they will always be neighbours, and we hope and are making efforts to ensure that they are good neighbours. Reconciliation is always an arduous and complex process. It must rely on goodwill and vision, but also on accountability and justice.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“There was a terrorist mob, on one side, and the police of an independent country preserving law and order, on the other. That has to be clear. Critical questions regarding their plans, preparations, training, support and financing therefore need to be answered quickly and convincingly because explanations provided so far, including today, lack credibility, even more so when criminals who should have been immediately condemned, were speedily honoured. The glorification of criminals, the denial of genocide and efforts to revisit history are wrong and unacceptable. They undermine the principles of justice, ethics and morality and have detrimental effects on the society of the countries concerned, as they run against reconciliation efforts.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“A military commando carefully prepared and trained in Serbia, ready to fan the flames of the worst in the history of the Balkans, attacked Kosovo and its institutions, killing a police officer in the line of duty. Thanks to the prompt and professional intervention by the Kosovo police, the damage was contained, and the terrorist mob was quickly pushed back. The more we learn about it, the more difficult it becomes not to see a pattern between these events and the déjà vu elsewhere, remember the story of heavily armed men in help of a fabricated narrative of a discriminated minority. The enterprise failed miserably — and that is the positive side — but its intentions remain frightening nonetheless — and that is the deeply worrisome side. There were no fighting sides in this incident, as we heard.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“For the first time in our long and troubled history, there is a clear pathway to a common future, individually and collectively, which was once again confirmed in a very convincing and committed way last week in Tirana, during the tenth EU-Western Balkans Summit, in the framework of the Berlin process, the first ever organized outside the EU. We need to hold firm to it, not let it slip and not waste it precisely because if we do not, the demons of the past or any incomprehensible demons of the present may be tempted to jeopardize it. Let me briefly share my worry, as well. It was mentioned that on 24 September Kosovo experienced what was thought inconceivable. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General called it a security incident. The European Parliament qualified it, in a resolution, as a terrorist act.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“That continues to be Albania’s investment — not a fantasy, as we heard from our Russian colleagues, like greater Albania or I do not know what. We do not want others’ territory, like some do. It is a fact that a quarter of a century later, the Western Balkans are no longer the Balkans; and balkanization has been replaced with Europeanization because the region has reconnected with its core identity, which is Europe. It is upon that conviction that I profoundly believe that despite the bitter past, the region has reached a transformative point when, in our part of Europe, like elsewhere in the continent, there is only talk of progress, cooperation, compromise, free movement and open spaces, connectivity with little or no borders — talk of a common destiny with far more positive prospects than worrisome aspects.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“None are mentioned in the report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and none are mentioned in the report of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, who all live and work in Kosovo. There may be problems and issues of course, like everywhere, in all our countries. That includes, for example, not wearing a seatbelt or turning right on the signal. But no one can, in full honesty, deny that there are laws — modern laws — that there are institutions — democratic institutions — and that there is due process equally for anyone in Kosova today. No matter how hard we may try, we cannot undo the past and its miseries. But, despite everything, we must move on and be forward-looking, as President Osmani- Sadriu said, turning pain to strength.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“Needless to say, it has left behind bitter memories that are hard to erase, wounds that are not easy to heal and scars that are still visible, including as many as 1,600 persons still unaccounted for. It is undeniable that, in the course of the past two decades, the region has gone a long way to overcome the demons of the past. It has largely succeeded, but there is still a lot of work to do. I was sincerely surprised, to say the least, in listening to the Prime Minister’s analysis of the situation in Kosovo. I checked the title of the meeting to make sure that we were not by any twist of chance in a meeting about Syria. None of the three elements that Prime Minister Brnabić mentioned are reflected, as she said, in the report of Secretary-General (S/2023/735).”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“When we speak about the still-unresolved relations between Kosova and Serbia, and after the divergent views that we heard here from some speakers, it is always important to put things in their right context. In a not-too-distant past, Kosova and Serbia were part of an ensemble that no longer exists. The dissolution of the former Yugoslavia was cruel and brutal. The Kosova chapter of that dissolution, in 1999, had nothing in common with a difficult divorce. We witnessed the worst in the separation of Kosova and Serbia, with war crimes and crimes against humanity, the death of countless civilians that mass graves continue to reveal to this day and through mass torture and widespread rape that can never be forgotten. It required an international intervention to stop atrocities and open a new page for the entire region.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“Let me welcome the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Ms. Ana Brnabić, to this meeting. I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ziadeh for her detailed briefing. Let me start with some good news, despite a somewhat blurred horizon during the past months. In January of next year, the people of Kosova will, like every other nation on the continent, enjoy freedom of movement in the Schengen area, a long-overdue process. Visa liberalization and increased human mobility have proven to have a huge transformative power everywhere they have been applied. That is part of the rapprochement with the freedoms of the European Union (EU) and its core values, which Kosova, a functioning and ever-strengthening democracy, has fully embraced.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9450 (2023) · source
“There can be no possible solution other than the one we have always supported and embraced, in which two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, for two peoples, Israelis and Palestinians, live side by side in peace, security and dignity.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“Innocent people have been taken hostage. Thousands of rockets have been launched indiscriminately in Israel, and Gaza is being destroyed. Peace and security throughout the entire Middle East are under threat, and the risk of a larger conflagration is real. Words of peace and calls for calm and reason may not be heard because of the noise of the war, but we should never, ever give up on efforts to bring the peace process back on track whenever possible. Regional and international actors must continue their efforts in order to respond quickly and wisely to the new reality and to prevent the crisis spilling over into the wider region and beyond. For us there is no alternative.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“We express our condolences to all those affected, and we mourn the patients, medical staff and other innocent people killed or wounded in that tragedy. Nothing can justify bombing a hospital or targeting civilians. Everything must be done to allow humanitarian assistance to reach everyone in need. We call for the opening of humanitarian routes and for assistance to flow unhindered to anyone in need. As in every conflict, in the absence of independently verified facts, guilt shifts sides in a way that today is amplified as never before by social media. We must stick to facts, not judge by emotions. We must therefore work to shed all possible light on the hospital attack. The facts have to be established and the perpetrators held to account. In the space of less than two weeks, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“It is shattering the dreams of Palestinians for self-determination and obstructing the hopes of statehood that the Palestinian people deserve and that the international community rightly supports. Albania has always stood by the right of any State to defend itself. In this case, we support the right of Israel to self-defence and its legitimate right to provide security for its people in a proportionate manner, in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, by taking every precaution not to harm innocent civilians. The war against terror should not harm civilians. The innocent people of Gaza are fully entitled to care and protection. Human lives have the same value, be they Israeli or Palestinian. Both peoples deserve to live in peace and security. The explosion at the hospital in Gaza is a tragedy.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“Albania strongly condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas and reiterates the call for a global condemnation of terror perpetrated anywhere, by anyone and at any time. Terror cannot be justified or excused. It should not be condoned, applauded or glorified. It must only be condemned, and by all. It must be fought, and it must be eradicated. We have said many, many times that violence breeds violence. But let us not forget that Hamas is harming not only Israelis but innocent Palestinians, in the very same way. It is responsible for what is happening in Gaza. It wants to destroy Israel and is working to do that, but by doing so it is also destroying the future of Palestine.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths for their sobering briefings. The Middle East is in danger to an extent that we have not witnessed for decades. The dire humanitarian situation, as we have heard, needs no explanation. The world is still in shock from the heinous and indefensible terrorist attack by Hamas and its consequences, including the taking of some 200 hostages. Given the brutality of the attacks, which everyone has witnessed, there is reason to believe that the innocent people abducted, if they are still alive, are being kept somewhere in Gaza under conditions that are hard to imagine. We strongly condemn such acts and reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of those being held hostage.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9443 (2023) · source
“It provided for the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law and for the flow of the humanitarian aid to all those in need. It also supports regional and international efforts for a solution on the ground and embraces a diplomatic solution to the crisis. In that respect, we commend the very active engagement at every level by the United States and others in finding the best solutions on the ground. While we supported the draft resolution, Albania reaffirms its position in full support of Israel and its right to self-defence, like every other nation under attack, which the text falls short of mentioning.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9442 (2023) · source
“We thank Brazil for their efforts, their diligence in providing time and their continued engagement with all Security Council members. The text came at a very critical moment, not only because of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the huge impact it is having on civilians, but also due to the revived dangers for the region and beyond. Albania voted in favour of the draft resolution (S/2023/773) because the text responded to core objectives on the issue and to our coherent and principled position. It strongly and unequivocally condemned Hamas and its indefensible terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October. As the Secretary-General called on Hamas to do last Sunday, it called for the immediate release of the hostages, which should remain a humanitarian priority. The hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally.”
2023-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9442 (2023) · source
“We remain hopeful that there is room to continue to remain actively engaged, with the hope to use our time and energy in the best way possible in order to come together to respond to the many urgent and pressing needs on the ground. This critical situation does not need competing texts or protagonism between Member States. It requires active diplomacy by regional and international actors, as is happening now. Here in the Council, it requires engagement by all, in good faith, to come together to respond in the best possible way to all critical imperatives and needs on the ground.”
2023-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9439 (2023) · source
“We recognize the need for the Council to react and act in discharging its core responsibility in many respects — in strongly condemning terrorism, as it has always done; in recognizing the right of States to defend themselves, as inscribed in the Charter of the United Nations; in always, protecting civilians; in supporting humanitarian efforts; in avoiding further exacerbation or any spillover of an already tense, complex and dangerous situation; and in chartering a clear path for peace, security, progress and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians. We abstained in the voting on draft resolution S/2023/772 because the text presented failed to present the full picture and to incorporate core elements on substantial issues.”
2023-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9439 (2023) · source
“The day of 7 October 2023 will remain a dark day — not only for the Israelis and its people, but for the entire world. With its monstrous terrorist acts, Hamas has committed the irreparable. Its appalling crimes have traumatized Israelis; they have terribly and profoundly hurt the entire nation; and they have defied our human conscience. They remain unjustifiable and unacceptable. They do not represent any nation or religion, and they cannot support any cause. Albania recognizes the severity and urgency of the situation on the ground.”
2023-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9439 (2023) · source