TIRANA, June 11 /ATA/ Albania was elected today a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
In an interview with “Voice of America” radio after the vote in the UN General Assembly, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka said that the fact that Albania didn’t have this opportunity in all these decades, illustrates in the best way the extraordinary dimensions of such an event for Albania, for its foreign policy, for its diplomacy.
“We are certainly aware of the realistic expectations that this seat in the Security Council can achieve at this crucial global peace and security roundtable. But, with a very good preparation of the team that will represent us we can achieve a lot by contributing to finding solutions to some problems, global, not just national or regional,” she said.
Regarding the Security Council continues to regularly discuss Kosovo issue, Xhaçka said that, “The issue of Kosovo, consolidation and increasing the number of recognitions of Kosovo’s independence is a strategic and major objective of Albania and Albania’s foreign policy ”.
“The Albanian state has contributed to the international arena for realization of this strategic objective and the independence of Kosovo is not only a national interest, but is an essential contribution to peace and security for the stability of our region, the Western Balkans. This stance of Albania will definitely remain unchanged, and not only now but also during the two years of Albania’s participation in the Security Council “, said Xhaçka.
“And I want to say that we will do our best to bring the issue of Kosovo back to the attention of the United Nations Security Council and it will definitely be an important priority that promotes peace and security. We strongly support Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, a process which is supported by both the EU and the US, because the successful completion of this dialogue would close one of the most difficult and tragic files in the Western Balkans, but it would “pave the way for the advancement of European integration for Kosovo and Serbia, and it would definitely be the key to Kosovo’s independence and the opening of its path to membership in the United Nations,” she said./p.s./
