Thank you, Mr. Chairperson,
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Kauma,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
We thank the Maltese Chairmanship not only for offering us hospitality at the end of this year, but above all, for stepping-in in the eleventh hour last year, and for chairing the OSCE tirelessly and earnestly throughout what proved to be another difficult year.
This Ministerial Council comes again on the backdrop of the biggest threat to our entire security architecture, namely Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. This tragic war, forged in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris, and other fundamental principles and commitments, continues to case immense suffering and devastation and has had dramatic repercussions for the OSCE, across all three dimensions.
The madness of this war has gone too far – it must stop now! We call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
We call for the return of the children deported from Ukraine and the release of all unlawfully and arbitrarily detained civilians, including OSCE officials Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.
We remain committed to seeking accountability – including through OSCE mechanisms – and will stand by Ukraine until a just and lasting peace is achieved, in accordance with international law.
Mr. Chair,
In the meantime, other conflicts and crises, the plethora of transnational threats, terrorism, organized crime, violent extremism and cybercrime, and the adverse effects of climate change on security, continue to cause suffering and hardship for many. They take a heavy toll on human rights and fundamental freedoms too, particularly on women and children.
For Albania, taking stock also of our tradition of harmony, tolerance, and peaceful religious co-existence, full respect for human rights and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination are paramount.
And as a promoter of gender equality and women’s empowerment both at home and abroad, Albania strongly values the role of the OSCE in implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We must do more to promote women in leadership and in decision-making processes, both in normal and emergency times.
Furthermore, developments in Afghanistan, for instance, and in the Middle East, have again highlighted the necessity for OSCE’s enhanced engagement with its Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation.
All of these challenges call for a strong Organization!
The OSCE executive structures remain a steadfast contributor to our comprehensive security and able to make a difference on the ground. The Secretariat, the institutions and the field operations, have shown their value and resilience, and we should give them without further delay the means, the resources and the ability to implement their mandates.
Our decisions have implications on the effectiveness of the OSCE today and on its future – for us, the participating States, as well as the executive structures, importantly the more than 2,000 men and women who work with dedication for our Organization. We should support them so they can support us.
Mr. Chair,
Albania continues to work hard and proactively for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Western Balkans.
The string of recent attempts to destabilize the Republic of Kosova, however, especially the terrorist criminal act in Banjska in September 2023 and the latest act of sabotage on the critical water supply infrastructure in the Ibër-Lepenc Canal, gravely undermine security and the lives of Kosova’s citizens and risk stirring up conflict. They put at risk also the process of normalizing relations in our region, where all states are engaged on the path of European Union integration.
Kosova and Serbia must resolve all differences through dialogue – there is no alternative to it. But we must all recognize that the best way to make the Western Balkans, and by extension Europe, more secure, is to recognize Kosova’s independence and grant it its rightful place at this table and in every other international forum.
Mr. Chair,
The OSCE has a unique role to play in promoting peace and security in these times of global turbulence. With the outcomes of this Ministerial Council, we may have taken a step forward. But we have still a very long way to go, not simply to ensure the functionality and effectiveness of the OSCE, but importantly, the restoration of our principles and commitments.
We very much hope that with the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2025, our Organization will turn an important corner toward greater security, stability, dialogue, and effectiveness.
We wish Finland and all of us the best of luck for next year. You can count on our support.
Thank you!
