July 12, 2021 — Hello everybody, Dear Maryam, Dear Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends,
Allow me to start by congratulating the organizers of this important and special event, to express support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, prosperous and nonnuclear Republic of Iran and to condemn violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism.
From the beginning, I would like, to align with the Bi-Partisan Resolution 118 sponsored by the majority members of the US Congress, announced on April 27 of this year.
On the other side, Albania fully aligns with the EU, NATO, Council of Europe and IAEA positions on the issues of democracy, human-rights, international and nuclear security, related to Iran.
Well, Albania firmly believes and remains committed to the safeguard and promotion of the democratic principles and values. It has always been standing by them who seek and fight for tolerance, democracy and human rights, which for us represents the foundation of peace, but also the foundation of our unconditional support in the fight against terrorism and all forms of fundamentalism.
As you know, from 2013, Albania is hosting a number of Iranian dissidents. At that time I used to be a minister of Defense of my country. Talking about their presence in our country, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, clarified to reporters in Vienna, where he was to speak before the OSCE Permanent Council in his capacity as head of the organization, that: “This is a topic and an issue that is not new to us in relation to Iran. We have taken an action that honors Albania in line with the Albanian tradition, in the wake of a non-negotiable strategic alliance with the United States, to welcome or open the doors to a group of people whose life is at risk (or used to be at risk at that time) and as it is written in the agreement that we have made that they are in Albania as a result of a humanitarian, not political, operation”.
We are very proud to have helped these people like we helped the Jews during WWII, with no interest or hidden agenda but offering shelter when many others turned their backs on them. This is who we are and how we see it, always.
On the other hand, the Albanian government and all the Albanian political spectrum has expressed dismay over the Iranian hostile and malicious stands and activities towards and within the territory of Albania.
For two decades, Albania remains firm in its commitment, alongside NATO, US and other partner countries in the fight against international terrorism and any act that endangers world stability and peace.
In several cases the Albanian authorities have identified and prevented dangerous activities organized by members linked to Iranian terrorist groups.
So in December 2019, Iran’s ambassador to Albania and one more embassy diplomat was expelled from our country as persona non grata.
The Foreign Ministry reported at the time that “the two Iranian diplomats were declared unwanted after being suspected of being involved in activities that threaten security of our country”. The decision to declare Iranian diplomats undesirable – from the ministry of Foreign Affairs was further clarified, like the decision that has been taken in consultation with the Allied countries because of their activity in Albania was violating their diplomatic status.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In January 2020, the Government of Albania expelled two other Iranian diplomats also for planning terrorist attacks against the MEK.
Well, what to say more? I think that we in Albania and Albania have always been a shining example of tolerance and religious coexistence, where people respect each other as equals, regardless of faith and cultural background. We do have more than three main religions in our country and we know how to live all together and to survive as Albanians, we know how to do so. We strongly believe that strengthening and promoting these values is a concrete effort to protect our society, to preserve our social cohesion but also to clarify the difference between radicalism and extremism, which has nothing to do with religion.
To counter terrorists and extremists’ ideas, their philosophy, their political project, and defeat them we must fight the roots of extremism, the poverty, the social injustice, the imposed ignorance, the intolerance, and of course the exclusion and discrimination. That’s what was happening in Iran actually.
I think that furthermore, Albania’s election for first time as temporary member of the United Nations Security Council commits us to defending human rights and the international rights as a country whose history has taught more than once that the human rights and the international rights are the inevitable pillars of the platform that builds better societies and the human rights protection, without any discrimination, definitely also promotes stronger cooperation among nations,
So let’s give to peace another chance.
