Albania

This year's session of the General Assembly is marked by profound sadness over the innocent victims of the macabre acts perpetrated by terrorists two months ago here in the United States of America, and now also by the events of this morning. On behalf of the Government and the people of Albania, I would like to express our utter indignation and our strongest and categorical condemnation of those acts, which were aimed not at a single country but, rather, were a serious attack on the values of democracy, freedom and world civilization. At the same time, I would like to convey our deepest sympathy to the American people and to all the families that lost loved ones in those tragic events. International terrorism is today becoming one of the greatest challenges for the world in which we live. It is essential that the international community tackle this phenomenon with the greatest seriousness, for it is replete with catastrophic consequences in many areas. Albania considers the military actions of the anti- terrorism coalition led by the United States and Great Britain against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Al Qaeda terrorist group, under the leadership of bin Laden, to be just and in full conformity with Chapter VII of the Charter and Security Council resolutions. Taking that into account, and as a country that defends the values of liberty and democracy, Albania expressed its determination to be part of that coalition from the outset. The international action that has just begun against terrorism should not be seen as a clash between civilizations. On the contrary, we Albanians see it as a struggle between good and evil and as a confrontation in which the values of humanism and peace are set against obscurantism and the negation of values. The only way to win this war is for all of our countries to unite their forces to create a common front, to take increasingly Draconian preventive measures at the national level, and to deploy ways and means for cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels to block any individual terrorist or terrorist group that threatens international peace and security. For its part, with the mechanisms at its disposal, the United Nations could and should do more to coordinate those efforts. Albania welcomes the measures taken by the United Nations to respond to acts of terrorism. We strongly support Security Council resolution 1373 2 (2001) and call on all Member States to fulfil their obligations under the resolution. We also support the current efforts aimed at completing the United Nations legal framework for coordination and for the international community's efforts to combat terrorism. For its part, Albania is already a party to eight major international conventions on the struggle against terrorism. We shall soon adhere to six more conventions. The new Albanian Government's four-year programme has set very clear objectives to definitively take the country out of its long transition stage and place it on the path towards stable economic development, the consolidation of its democratic institutions and legal framework, and integration into the European family. Thanks to sustained efforts, Albania has already established an encouraging climate for individual Albanian entrepreneurship as well as for foreign investment. Moreover, Albanian institutions will keep the struggle against terrorism, organized crime, illegal trafficking and corruption at the centre of their activities. The responsible commitment of the country's leaders to an uncompromising struggle against those phenomena, as well as their cooperation with other countries in the region and beyond, has in most cases kept in check the activities of criminal elements who seek to exploit Albania as a transit country for various types of illegal trafficking. Albania believes that a mosaic of fledging democracies is already taking shape in the Balkans, albeit with difficulties. Believing that domestic political and economic stability are intrinsically linked to regional stability, Albania has committed itself to applying a regional policy of good-neighbourliness towards all Balkan countries, and has already given concrete proof of that desire. One clear sign of that policy was the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the Belgrade Government at the beginning of the year. That was a logical follow-up to the democratic developments begun in the Republic of Serbia that led to results that were eagerly awaited by the whole of the international community, namely, the fall of the Milosević regime and his dispatch to the Tribunal at The Hague. The same fate should also befall the other criminals who carried out the policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing he planned. On behalf of peace and stability in the region, as well as on behalf of good-neighbourliness, Albania has adopted a realistic attitude, even with regard to the most recent crisis in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The position we adopted was very much appreciated by the international community. The Albanian Government welcomed the Ochrid framework Agreement between the Macedonian authorities and the Albanian political forces, and we hope that it will soon be implemented in a comprehensive manner, as this would contribute to peace and stability in Macedonia and in the region. We also warmly welcome the indispensable role of, and the efforts made by, international mediators, which led to the signing of the Agreement, as well as the commitment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to ensure its implementation on the ground. The Albanian State has good relations of cooperation with Kosovo, and we greatly appreciate the positive developments that have taken place there. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, and Mr. Haekkerup personally, have taken a number of very important steps in order to finalize the legal framework for Kosovo and to organize the general elections, which will be held on 17 November. The elections will represent an important chapter in the history of Kosovo and of the region, because this will be the first time in their history that the people of Kosovo will be electing, in a free and democratic manner, democratic Government bodies that will take charge of the future of Kosovo. We would like to express our sincere hope that the Serb minority and the other minorities living in Kosovo will participate in these elections, because we consider them to be an integral part of Kosovar society. Although I do not wish to speak at great length about the many problems that are facing Kosovo, I would simply like to appeal to the international community to actively seek a solution to the issue of divided Mitrovica. Practices aimed at averting inter- ethnic conflict in Kosovo such as compromises in the area of territorial compensation based on the concept of parcelling out its territory, and the establishment of parallel institutions, are harmful and should be 3 deplored. They will not benefit Kosovo. They will simply give rise to a fresh surge of the inter-ethnic hatred that was fuelled by Milosevic. The international community and the active political forces in Kosovo must make every effort to build a new and open society that respects ethnic, religious and cultural diversity. Albania has established good relations of cooperation with the countries in the region, both bilaterally and multilaterally. It has endeavoured to play its part in contributing to peace and stability in the Balkans, including through the framework of the Southeast Europe Cooperation Process, whose chairmanship Albania currently holds. In the framework of this initiative, Albania will play an even more active role in coordinating the efforts of member States with a view to strengthening multilateral cooperation in all areas, in order to overcome the crises and problems of the region. The Albanian Government will continue with this commitment over the next four years. It will work also within the framework of other regional initiatives, where one of our important commitments is to implement joint infrastructure projects in the framework of the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe. Like the other countries of the region, Albania has embraced with enthusiasm the process of integration into Euro-Atlantic bodies, as its strategic objective and principal priority is to become a member of the European Union. The Albanian Government welcomed the decision taken last June by the Gˆteborg Summit to begin in the near future the process of negotiations for the signing of a stabilization and association agreement. The Albanian Government hopes that these negotiations will be concluded as soon as possible and that the agreement will be signed within the next year. We are aware that this will require coordination and cooperation at all Government levels in order for us to be able to meet the political, economic, social and other standards emanating from this process. We are convinced that integration has to start at home and that we will have to do more to achieve the results required by the European Union in all areas, particularly when it comes to progress in effecting reform, and especially in terms of consolidating our legal system, harmonizing our legislation with the existing body of community agreements, and the carrying out of effective macro- and micro-economic policies. Joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of Albania's strategic objectives. Thanks to its close relationship with the Euro-Atlantic Alliance in the last few years, it is one of the nine countries that the Alliance has designated as being potential candidates for NATO membership. Today humanity is facing both new and old threats. Conflicts between States; inter-ethnic conflicts; terrorism and organized crime; widespread poverty and the wide gap that exists between the poor and the rich countries, including the digital divide; natural disasters and the drying up of energy resources; diseases such as AIDS and other epidemic illnesses, and those spread by bioterrorism, have long been the subject of study in the international community. Current developments throughout the world have shown, now more than ever, the vital importance and the crucial role of the United Nations in achieving peace and security and in fostering development throughout the world. The Millennium Summit showed yet again that it is essential for each State Member of our Organization to maintain an ongoing commitment to contribute to resolving regional and international conflicts and tensions and to address such challenges as globalization, poverty, HIV/AIDS, drugs, and the achievement of sustainable development. But beyond these challenges, the United Nations is facing a multitude of problems related to its reform. It must manage its resources even better so that they can be used as much as possible for peacekeeping and for development projects in all of the poor countries, the countries in transition and the developing countries. The United Nations should also become as representative a body as possible. Finally, the United Nations must devise and implement wholeheartedly mechanisms that are not bureaucratic or complex but streamlined and effective, in order to ensure that its activities become more concrete and bear more fruit and that its voice carries the highest authority throughout the world.