New York, 21 September 2023
Excellencies,
Thank you Mme Chair.
This has been an incredibly rich discussion.
I had to jump in on behalf of Minister Hasani who is chairing an urgent meeting of the Security Council related to the evolving situation in Nagorno Karabah.
At this stage, after so many distinguished speakers, everything has been said, and as I witnessed, by everyone.
In an effort to summarize some of the key ideas of the discussions today, I would highlight:
First, the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine is and remains a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law. No Russian efforts or narrative will be able to change it.
Second, the international community, all of us, must continue to support Ukraine, not only for the sake of Ukraine but for the sake of what is important and what unites us, the defense of the international rules-based order; and
third, any peace efforts – and we should all pursue peace a just peace – should go hand in hand with the accountability process. No lasting peace can be built on crimes and impunity.
Horrible crimes including the mother of crimes, aggression, cannot and must not be left unattended.
All those responsible for this war of choice and its consequences, must be held to account.
Investigative activities, based on documented crimes, including the established Register of Damage must be resolutely pursued.
Justice is slow but it is grinding and the ICC with its first two warrants is leading this important effort.
Let me conclude with by highlighting the key issue of continued efforts for peace, for a just peace, based on the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Ukraine is fighting for its right, for its land, for its future and the right to be itself. But, as mentioned many times, their fight is also ours and the outcome of this war will define Europe and the world for the decades to come.
For all these reasons, Albania will continue to maintain the situation in Ukraine high in the agenda of the Security Council, as we did yesterday with a High-level Open debate and many of you participated.
It is of paramount importance to continue to counter the Russian narrative, keep Russia isolated in its wrong course until this war stops, and this is and must remain front and center of our join efforts in the group of friends.
Thank you!
