I am the newly elected Prime
Minister of Albania. This is my first month in office.
It is truly humbling to stand at this rostrum in the
steps and the shadows of some of the great figures of
history who have stood here and shaped our world, in
this forum, which, for all the criticisms of the United
Nations, is a living reminder that good must come from
bad and that the march of progress through time is
powered by debate, ideas, cooperation, argument and
agreement.
Albania is no great Power; it is a small country, but
with great potential. It has outstanding natural beauty
and good and hard-working people. My challenge is to
bring change so that this potential can be fulfilled. It will
take time. It will take a lot of effort and perseverance.
It will take understanding and support from friends and
partners. For my part, I will add leadership. We have a
long way to go, but it can be done.
I was reading a study recently that analysed every
country in the world, measuring the positive and
negative media coverage. Switzerland was at the top;
Albania was 161st. In truth, people around the world
may not know that much about Albania, but what they
think they know is not good. The film industry has not
been kind to us — Wag The Dog, Taken, Taken 2. Even
I was a bit scared to be in Albania after that. I hope one
day Liam Neeson, Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro
can visit and see what a beautiful country it is and feel
the potential that I feel.
But I am not naive. Our problems are not all based
in Hollywood. Some are real and damaging, such as
corruption, which scars countries in the way the swish
of a blade can scar a beautiful face. It deters legitimate
investors from investing. It holds back progress. It
stops people from believing there can ever be fairness.
Corruption can and must be beaten if we are to build the
economic rule of law we need, get the investment we
need and attract the tourism that our scenery, heritage
and warm, welcoming people deserve. It will not be
easy, but it can be done, and we are fully committed.
The world has changed tremendously in the course
of recent decades, and it is changing now at an even
faster pace. We all expect the United Nations to follow
suit. United Nations reform is not only necessary; it has
become imperative. If we fail to agree and act on that,
the role which the United Nations is to play will remain
incomplete.
One of the important aspects of change is the
ongoing reform of the delivery of development
assistance. In the course of a few years, delivering
as one has proved to be a valuable achievement, and
it represents today an avenue for deeper reform. If we
want more effectiveness, better efficiency and coherent
action by various United Nations actors and if we aim
for better results on the ground and better value for
our money, delivering as one is the way to go. We have
pledged our support and will continue to do so as we
are convinced that is the right path.
The United Nations is beyond any doubt one of
the most important world bodies. We joined it in the
middle of the past century. But it is not alone; for us,
the European Union (EU), which represents the most
important political project the world has known to date,
is another. We aspire to join it. We know the changes
we have to make, and I am determined to make them.
If the EU has turned its attention towards our
region, particularly due to past conflicts, together
we — Albanians, Serbs, Montenegrins, Bosnians,
Macedonians and all the other peoples of the region
who have already joined the European Union — should
maintain our eyes and our focus on the EU for projects
related to our development for a better and more
prosperous common future.
Regional cooperation that is not grounded in
strategic projects serving the economic revival of all
our countries in the process of integration into the
European Union as a developed economic area would
be completely ineffective. We have neither the time nor
the luxury to engage in time-consuming, ineffective
projects. No country of the region can afford such a
luxury. Consequently, we should create new momentum
in regional cooperation by effectively combining the
objectives of the South East Europe 2020 strategy with
the projects of the Europe 2020 agenda. We should
not forget that successful regional cooperation has a
direct effect on meeting economic accession criteria.
Undoubtedly, meeting such criteria through intense and
fruitful regional cooperation is neither an easy nor a
simple task.
My vision for Albania is also a vision of the Balkans
working together, in defiance of our history of so much
war and conflict, although — let us say it loudly and
proudly — these are past wars and past conflicts. I want
to share my conviction that the remarkable agreement
between Kosovo and Serbia launched a new era in
South-East Europe. Their dialogue, which was an act
of courage and wisdom on the part of both Kosovo
and Serbia, with much-appreciated facilitation by the
European Union, challenges every country of the region
to mobilize its efforts in new and innovative forms of
collaboration and cooperation.
Not everything is easy or perfect. There are still a
few here and there who continue to think in the past. But
the prevailing truth is that Prime Ministers Thaçi and
Da.i. have shouldered their leadership responsibility to
bring their countries into the future they both deserve.
More than anything, in a world interconnected and
interdependent like never before, where space and
relationships are related and recreated in continuity, it
is crucial to live in the new time without prolonging the
old one of conflicts and nationalism.
In this regard, Albania is committed to peace and
prosperity in the region. This is why it is committed
to the irreversible independence of Kosovo, which is
already recognized by 104 Member States. This is why
it calls upon all countries that have not yet recognized
Kosovo to do so. They will not only help Kosovo and
its people, but they will join those who, by recognizing
Kosovo, have played an important role in strengthening
security and stability in South-East Europe.
To those who are sceptical, I say that the people
of Kosovo, like all the other peoples that now enjoy
fully recognized, independent republics following
the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, deserve the
recognition of their sovereignty, particularly as they
have demonstrated, more than any other people in the
region, their indisputable commitment to human rights,
minority rights, dialogue and peace. Without this
commitment, it would be very difficult for our region
to make progress towards integration into the European
Union. But their commitment is obvious and firm,
and the region has been making remarkable progress
towards its most important goal — integration into
the European Union. Croatia has joined the European
Union. We are waiting in the queue, as are Serbia and
Kosovo.
I have no doubt that, provided that each and every
country of the region replaces the politics of division
with the politics of cooperation, and provided that we
build shared values, beliefs and policies instead of
clinging to ancient enmities, we can show how much
we have changed and how quickly we can make the
further changes needed to take our place alongside
others in the modern European family of nations. It
will undoubtedly take time and perseverance. It will
take the understanding and support of European Union
member States. It will take leadership on the part of us
all, and as past practice and successful examples show,
it can be done.
This is a very serious commitment, and I would
like to state here that it is our firm intention to explore
every possibility to initiate a constructive debate,
develop a real dialogue and foster close cooperation in
every possible aspect with each and every country of
the region, including, notably, Serbia. Let the Balkans,
which have been known so long for war and bloodshed,
now be known for changing its ways and thereby change
the world for the better.
I wish that, in this statement of hope, I could avoid
having to speak about one of the most terrible human
tragedies of our times, which has been unfolding before
our eyes for two and a half years now. It has taken more
than 100,000 human lives. It is destroying an entire
generation and has brought a country to ruin. The
recent large-scale use of chemical weapons constitutes
a despicable crime against humanity that should not
and must not remain unpunished.
Yet even within such a bleak picture, there has
been a glimpse of hope. Yesterday, the Security
Council finally adopted resolution 2118 (2013), on the
removal and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria,
which we welcome. It must now be quickly and fully
implemented.
As I walked to this rostrum, I felt the extraordinary
sense of responsibility that the leadership of a country
implies. I felt the power of the historic forces pulsating
in this building. I felt the new world it has shaped,
the challenges it has met, the challenges it has failed
to meet and the challenges we, the family of nations,
struggle to meet today in this ever more interdependent
and complicated world.
I ran for office on the theme of renaissance, but
we all know that words spoken while campaigning are
the easy part. What is hard is turning those words into
deeds, actions, policies and projects that deliver change.
I am confident, but I am humble enough to know I
cannot do it alone. I have much to learn, and the United
Nations is one of those places where one always finds
people, individuals, groups and Governments who can
teach with experience and lead by example.
We need support. We need partners and friends
willing to be part of our journey for change. Renaissance
means a new Albania. Building the renaissance is
the challenge we face. It will take time. It will take
perseverance. It will take the understanding and support
of partners and friends. It will also take leadership,
which I am committed to. But I know it can be done.