By Alfred Moisiu
During this year, Albania based on the Summit 2005 document, undertook concrete actions to encourage the important objectives of the three main pillars of development, security and human rights and to implement the United Nations ambitious agenda of reforms. The positive results achieved by the foundation of the Peacebuilding Commission and Human Rights Council, Resolution on Development, the foundation of the Emergency Response Central Fund and also the reforms of the Secretariat and Management fill us with optimism and make us believe that United Nations must continue its reforms in order to respond as best as possible to new realities and challenges.By re-iterating our willingness and intention to work closely with all the delegations and to reach as consensual as possible agreements in all the significant aspects of the reforms, we think that a solid and inclusive reform of Management is necessary for the strengthening of the United Nations in order to consolidate the transparency and responsibility and to enjoy a more effective and efficient administration of the resources. We support the efforts to reform ECOSOC while believing also that the reform in the Security Council will produce progress and results thanks to the efforts and commitment of all the member countries. We hail the High Level Meeting on Migration because we believe that international migration that is supported by the right policies can bring major advantages to the development of the countries of origin and the receiving ones on the condition to respect and guarantee the basic rights of migrants by avoiding any discrimination and double standard.
The UN role continues to remain very important also in the war against terrorism, especially by securing an effective, global and intensive response to this threat. We praise the recent consensual adoption of the global strategy against terrorism as we also assess that the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism will mark a precious achievement made possible by the UN efforts against terrorism. Albania is collaborating very closely with all the UN bodies in the war against terrorism and the visits of the Monitoring Team founded in compliance to the Resolution 1267 of the Security Council and the visit of the Security Council Committee Against Terrorism founded in compliance to the resolution 1540 of the Security Council demonstrated that Albanian is fulfilling its obligations to prevent the activity and financing of terrorist groups also on the national level.We have supported the resolution of the Security Council on the Israeli-Lebanon conflict, which consists in the peaceful solution of the issue and sending the peacekeeping forces in that area. Albania is part of the countries that have given financial support to rebuild Lebanon.
Fulfilling the European Union and NATO standards
The main orientation of Albania’s foreign policy remains the European and Euro-Atlantic integration and that is why the efforts of Albanian state and society are directed towards fulfilling the European Union and NATO standards. A few days ago the European Parliament ratified the Association-Stabilization Agreement of Albania with the European Union which places our country at the most important stage; that of fulfilling the obligations that stem from the Agreement and the entire Albanian political class and society are conscious about this. We all believe that the actual membership in the European Council and OSCE and also the perspective accession in EU and NATO are a natural part of the move for development rather than an objective for objective sake.We have established relations of active cooperation and dialogue on the regional level with all the countries by remarkably influencing the strengthening of regional security and stability. Together with the countries of the region we have made an agenda of joint actions against terrorism, organized crime, distribution of arms and border managing which has an inter-border feature and we have also undertaken concrete initiatives to encourage the economic development of the region.
Kosova, a sovereign, independent, democratic and multi-ethnic state
Albania assesses that the main issue put forth to be resolved in our region continues to remain that of Kosova. Kosova has marked a great progress in the internal stability, in advancing the fulfillment of the required international standards, in improving the inter-ethnic relations, in founding and efficient functioning of Kosovar central and local institutions, in the serious and professional commitment in the process of negotiations with Belgrade through the intermediation of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, President Ahtisaari and also in its gradual integration in regional activities, initiatives and structures as part of Kosova’s integrating process in the European Union and NATO. The leadership of Kosova, the representing Kosovar institutions, opposition, civil society, media and the entire civil factor are demonstrating social and political cohesion and also increasing unity and open and full cooperation with the international factor to build a Kosova which would be sovereign and independent, democratic and multi-ethnic state, integrated in the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. The UN Mission and the commitments of the General Secretary there have played a significant part of the success also.The progress of talks between Prishtina and Belgrade in Vienna is positive. We encourage the continuation of constructive dialogue and wish for the Serbian side to do the same by demonstrating realism, solidarity with the attention of international community and respect for the aspirations of the people of Kosova. Albania is against any possible scenario for the partition or disintegration of Kosova, which according to the tradition of the past can bring conflicts and instability in the future.
We support a full and quick solution of the issue of the status of unique Kosova: a solution that takes in consideration the will of its inhabitants themselves, guarantees functionality within the Kosovar state and society and freedoms of the minority communities. A Kosova, being a sovereign, independent, democratic and multi-ethnic state, with a clear Euro-Atlantic perspective serves to peace and stability in the region and wider.
The view expressed occasionally that the independence of Kosova would leave the door open to implement in an analog way the same solutions for problems which exist at the present in different countries and regions does not seem accurate to us. The solution of any problem must take into consideration the historical and geographical context and other dimensions that exclude the search and mechanic application of unjustifiable analogies. By taking into consideration the historical, juridical and moral aspects of the issue of Kosova and also the fact that it reaches the present times with convulsions and wars that accompanied the disintegration of former-Yugoslavia, I think that solving it according to the will of the very citizens of Kosova is completely legitimate. Seen under this light, this solution marks also the end of the chapter of this disintegration and turning of a new page as part of the democratic developments that have taken place in the Balkans in the last decade.
Meeting the Millennium Goals
Albania stands at an important stage of the progress of all sided institutional, legal and economic reforms, with its aim oriented towards the European models and standards. Our commitment is to improve the governance on all the levels in order for the governance to be as close as possible to the interests of the citizens and country. The actual government has undertaken various economic initiatives that aim to liberalize the procedures and enhance our capability to attract foreign investments. We are conscious that this objective can be achieved only by carrying out the reforms that realistically enable a competing and open market for the free initiative that offers opportunities to as many people as possible to conduct business or to be employed and coordinated with the reforms in the priority public sectors: increasing the investments in infrastructure and power sector, education and health sectors and also completing it with effective social policies in favor of social groups and individuals in need. Our objective is for the economic growth to directly serve meeting the Millennium Goals by being transformed into the main factor for the reduction of poverty, lowering of unemployment rate to the average level of the developed European countries and also to secure a stable and long-term economic growth, which does not compromise the chances of future generations.
The all sided engagement against corruption is part of the efforts to strengthen the Rule of Law and develop the country. In this framework there are being undertaken concrete actions for reforms in legislation and institutions in order to take preventive measures, to narrow the room for corruptive abuses, to enhance public transparency, to eliminate the conflict of interests, to enhance the access in decision taking and strengthen the monitoring role of civil society, local communities and media.We have paid a special attention also to the fight against organized crime, drug and human being trafficking and money laundering. Today we can state with full conviction that these phenomena is being faced with the strong power of the law and with the structures built in the country in cooperation also with the international factor and that is why the results are tangible.
A strong and effective United Nations
Albania supports and contributes for a strong and effective United Nations Organization, capable to successfully overcome new challenges because we consider it an Organization based on the values and principals of multilateralism, global partnership for development, joint action to strengthen collective peace and security to the benefit of promoting human rights, Rule of Law and commitments against terrorism.
In conclusion, please allow me, Madam President, to assure you that my country will be active in fulfilling the commitments and obligations that stem from the responsibilities within the Organization and also from those decisions that the Sixty-first Session of the UN General Assembly will adopt.
This speech was delivered at UN General Assembly
