Albania, 2004

It is my special pleasure to

address the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly

of the United Nations. This universal forum has

enabled the peoples of the world to coordinate and

harmonize their efforts in preserving peace and

security, in achieving prosperity and upholding the

values of human civilization.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President,

on being elected to preside over this august body and

to express my confidence in your successful

leadership.

I would also like, on behalf of Albania, to convey

to the Secretary-General our highest appreciation for

his leading contribution to the fulfilment of the

historical mission of the United Nations and to the

aspirations of our peoples for a better world in which

only peace, democracy and economic prosperity reign.

This session of the General Assembly takes place

in a milestone year for Europe. Only a few months ago,

a historic event vitalized the dream of a more united

and stronger Europe. Ten European countries, sharing a

common aspiration for integration, were admitted into

the European Union.

The Albanian Government and society are

engaged in an all-round European integration process,

and they are carrying out necessary reforms with the

necessary political will and drive.

Albania is working to strengthen the democratic

institutions and capacities of its central and local

government with a view to bringing its legislation and

conditions into line with European Union standards,

progressively achieving concrete and measurable

results, as previously defined.

Determined to make our contribution to regional

and global security, the Albanian Government

considers the country's integration into NATO to be

one of its major objectives. The NATO Istanbul

Summit last June commended the progress made by my

country in this regard and encouraged the deepening of

reforms. It welcomed Albania's contribution to

regional stability and cooperation and committed to

assess our further progress at the next NATO summit,

which would hopefully mark the start of negotiations

for our full membership in the alliance. We believe that

the commitments set up in the framework of the

Adriatic Charter are also contributing to meet NATO

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standards, to the benefit of regional stability and

security.

We remain truly convinced that the respect and

protection of human rights and freedoms are the main

pillars of a pluralist democratic society. The

Government of the Republic of Albania will continue

to constantly demonstrate its commitment to a full

implementation of the standards enshrined in the

United Nations and Council of Europe conventions, as

well as the relevant documents of regional

organizations, such as the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe, in which we are playing a

very active role. We will continue to do so in the future

as well. By adopting contemporary legislation and by

becoming a party to other recently adopted

international instruments on human rights, Albania has

associated itself with countries that are enforcing a

number of national strategies and programmes focusing

on specific population groups, especially women,

children, persons in need and minorities, among others.

In recent years, the Albanian Government has

started to periodically submit reports to the committees

of the six main United Nations human rights treaties

and is taking their recommendations into serious

consideration. It is our belief that these international

mechanisms play a significant and important role as

guardians of the common human values we have

together adopted.

Albania, as one of the 191 signatory countries of

the Millennium Declaration, remains fully committed

to implementation of the Millennium Development

Goals, which have been properly reflected in a national

strategy for social and economic development. The

pattern of our sustained economic growth, which is at 6

to 7 per cent for the seventh consecutive year, is a good

support base for the whole society to maintain higher

standards of respect for human rights and to fight

poverty and crime. I would like to take this opportunity

to thank the United Nations specialized agencies for

their valuable assistance in support of the

implementation of these objectives nationwide and on

a central and local level.

The Albanian Government is pleased to note that

an ever-healthier climate of confidence and relations of

bilateral and multilateral cooperation are prevailing in

the South-Eastern European region. The countries of

the region are fully engaged in a process that will lead

us clearly toward Euro-Atlantic integration and at the

same time continually remove us from the extremist

tendencies that caused a number of conflicts in the last

decade. The regional policy of my Government is

guided by the motto: 'the more integrated in the

region, the more integrated in Europe.' In

implementing this policy, Albania is cooperating as

never before with all the countries of the region by

making borders less relevant, opening up to one

regional market the implementation of free trade

agreements and free movement corridors, and

stimulating foreign direct investment. We are

especially cooperating with the common fight against

organized crime and all kinds of illegal trafficking. In

the meantime, Albania is reinforcing its border

management and control, guided by the European

Union and NATO standards.

My country will hold general parliamentary

elections by the middle of next year. We are committed

to doing all that is required to ensure that the election

process is fully compatible with international standards

for free and fair elections. To that end, we are

committed to continuing to work with relevant

specialized institutions on elections by fully

implementing especially OSCE/Office for Democratic

Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

recommendations. For us, the process and standards

are more important than the results of the elections.

In the context of strengthening regional

cooperation, my country is committed to a more

enhanced partnership with all regional organizations

and initiatives that serve the promotion of good

neighbourly relations; the strengthening of regional

peace, security and stability; ensuring political support

for integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, and

attracting financing for national and regional projects

in priority fields such as energy, transportation and

telecommunications.

On its path towards European integration, the

South-East European region is still facing pending

challenges, such as the future of Kosovo. Albania

greatly appreciates the recent democratic and

integration developments in Kosovo, thanks to the

efforts of the respective peoples and the partnership of

its self-governing institutions with the United Nations

Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

Allow me at this point to congratulate Mr. Soren

Jessen-Petersen, Special Representative for Kosovo of

the United Nations Secretary-General, in assuming this

very important duty.

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The Albanian Government shares the view that

the time has come for a rapid and coherent

implementation of the policy of standards of a

multiethnic democracy and European status for

Kosovo. This would be the key to the solution of a

number of other issues. We truly hope that the question

of the final status of Kosovo will reach a final solution

soon, for the sake of the people of Kosovo and for the

enhancement of the Europeanization process of the

whole region.

In the meantime, we support all efforts to build a

democratic and multicultural society in Kosovo that is

governed by the rule of law, ethnic and religious

tolerance and cohabitation. Particularly helpful in this

regard would be the further energizing of UNMIKís

transfer of authority to the legitimate institutions of

Kosovo that are already being anchored to European

integration agendas.

We believe that in the upcoming October

parliamentary elections, the Albanian and other ethnic

communities of Kosovo will demonstrate their best

values, taking a major step toward the consolidation of

multiethnic democracy in the region. We also hope that

the Serbian minority in Kosovo will assume its

responsibilities and, through a free vote, make their

contribution to the European future of Kosovo. Their

participation in all levels of the democratic institutions

of Kosovo would further contribute to the

consolidation of peace, stability and the European

perspective in the whole region.

My Government supports a stimulation of direct

dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, both on

political and technical issues. This is fundamental in

resolving the pending problems and is in accordance

with the spirit of regional and European integration.

The tragic terrorist attack one year ago in

Baghdad, which took the lives of 22 people, including

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Sergio Vieira

de Mello, is still fresh in our memories. Such hideous

and punishable acts, which continued in the following

days and months there and in other countries of the

world, such as Turkey, Spain, Russia, Indonesia and

others, show that terrorism is today the biggest threat

to international peace and security, to stability and to

the values of world democracy and civilization.

In the global effort to combat terrorism, our

countries have already understood that, first of all, it

cannot be identified with one people, one religion, one

race or only certain groups of society. We believe that

the fight against terrorism will only be successful if we

join efforts. In that context, we support the

strengthening of international cooperation among

States and international organizations, in which the

United Nations has an irreplaceable role.

The Albanian Government has been consistently

committed to making its contribution as an active

member of the international coalition against terrorism.

We have peacekeeping troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have signed, ratified and now are implementing 12

United Nations conventions and protocols against

terrorism. We are doing the same with the relevant

resolutions of the Security Council, cooperating with

and presenting regular reports to the Council. The

Albanian Government salutes the decision of the

Security Council to play a more active role in the fight

against threats stemming from the possession and

trafficking of weapons of mass destruction. We support

Security Council resolution 1540 (2004).

Albania has, on the other hand, taken all

measures for the implementation of the Code of

Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive

Sources of the International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA), convinced that this international instrument is

extremely important to preventing threats stemming

from the misuse of radioactive materials. Albania has

already taken the decision and will soon sign the

Protocol Additional to the Safeguards Agreement of

the IAEA. This year, Albania also joined the

Proliferation Security Initiative, with its respective

commitments that will create benefits for all.

Peace and stability have not been fully

established in certain regions of the world. The United

Nations and the Security Council are the authorities

mandated by the Charter to preserve peace and security

globally. It is only natural that crisis-solving solutions

and initiatives in such hot spots around the globe as

Iraq, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Sudan and so on

remain high on their agenda. We believe that a more

active engagement of the international community is

required in finding the most suitable and lasting

solutions for those crisis situations, as is the further

enhancement of the role and effectiveness of the

United Nations structures.

In that regard, the Albanian Government

welcomed the unanimous adoption of Security Council

resolution 1546 (2004) of 8 June on Iraq, approving the

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provisional Government of Iraq and transferring to it

authority and sovereignty, the independence and

territorial integrity of Iraq, Iraqi Government control of

the armed forces and, in particular, the holding of

democratic elections in early 2005. The progress made

in Iraq is due to the cooperation between the Iraqi

Government forces and those of the Coalition. We

would wish, however, to see a further lowering of

tensions and a full stop to violence. We would wish for

increased security, more stability and the establishment

of a democratic society.

That is why we strongly condemn the strategy of

violence and hostage-taking to achieve political goals,

sometimes cloaked under a religious veil, and we join

our voice to those of all the international actors that

have called for an immediate stop to those acts. The

Albanian Government supports the efforts of the

United Nations to provide the assistance necessary to

build national democratic institutions in Iraq and to the

holding of free and democratic elections early next

year.

My Government also follows with great concern

the developments in the Middle East. Like the whole

international community, we hope to see an end put to

the deterioration of the situation in the occupied

Palestinian territories, where violence towards the

civilian population is increasingly claiming innocent

lives, especially those of women and children. On the

other hand, we condemn any terrorist act against the

civilian population, irrespective of whose name it is

committed in.

The Albanian Government strongly believes that

peace can and should be achieved only through

dialogue and negotiation. We are convinced that the

Security Council, the Quartet and the international

community have the authority and the capacity to

establish a stable peace in Palestine and throughout the

Middle East based on the Security Councilís

resolutions and the road map. The international

community should continue to monitor closely the

implementation of the road map in order to avoid any

deviation from or change, misinterpretation or blocking

of it by the parties to the conflict.

Current developments and realities in the

international arena, and the acute problems and

challenges we are all facing ó such as preserving

peace and security, facing the threats and dangers of

terrorism, the fight against poverty and fatal diseases,

the effects of globalization and environmental

degradation ó have increasingly sharpened the need to

revitalize our Organization. The Albanian Government

is fully supportive of the efforts of the Secretary-

General to reform the Organization, in particular the

initiatives taken regarding the reform of the Security

Council. We join with the voices that call for a stronger

United Nations and for more efficient organs and

mechanisms engaged in monitoring the implementation

of obligations by United Nations Member States, in

particular those concerning global security.

We therefore think that the time has come to have

a more representative, more transparent and more

flexible Security Council that could better reflect

current realities. Its enlargement with permanent and

non-permanent members would increase the

possibilities for all States Members of the United

Nations to contribute to the preservation of

international peace and stability. It would be a

significant step towards the completion of United

Nations reform.

My country is willing to contribute further to the

activities of the United Nations, especially in the

global and regional agendas related to sustainable

economic and social development and the protection of

fundamental freedoms and human rights universally.

To that end, Albania has modestly presented for the

first time its candidacy to become a member of the

Economic and Social Council for the period

2005-2007. We hope we shall succeed.

A few weeks ago, the whole world witnessed the

successful conclusion of the Olympic Games in

Athens. Gathered around the Olympic torch, sportsmen

and women demonstrated how closely nations can

stand with one another and how we can get rid of

hatred and conflict from our midst. Let the symbol of

Olympic peace and fraternity help us to build a better,

more secure world for us and for generations to come.