In a post on X, Hoxha said the 81st session of the UN General Assembly is under way, with the general debate due to begin next Tuesday.

“Against a backdrop of geopolitical pessimism, uncertainty and unpredictability, Albania comes prepared, with a strong sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to reform and progress,” Hoxha wrote.

He also stressed the importance of delivering on commitments, saying: “Promises matter, but delivering on them matters more, and that is what makes the difference.”

In the video message, Rama highlighted Albania’s efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

“For Albania, the Sustainable Development Goals are not a distant promise; they are a daily work plan and are inseparable from our path towards the European Union,” Rama said.

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Foreign Minister Spiropali and the President of the Republic Bajram Begaj are in New York to attend the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session, scheduled for September 22-27 in New York.

Spiropali also emphasized Albania’s clear and unwavering support for multilateralism.

Earlier today, Spiropali met with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna to discuss regional security concerns following a reported airspace violation by four Russian military aircraft.

She also met Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović, who congratulated her on her appointment as Foreign Minister.

Spiropali joined Adriatic-Ionian foreign ministers for a regional dialogue chaired by North Macedonia, where she reiterated Albania’s commitment to regional cooperation and a shared European future.

She is also expected to deliver a speech at the UN headquarters on the promotion and protection of human rights.

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Begaj is set to address the General Debate, outlining Albania’s positions on key global issues including international peace and security, multilateralism, sustainable development, and human rights, his office said.

His agenda also includes participation in several multilateral events and bilateral meetings with fellow heads of state, senior UN officials, and members of the Albanian diaspora.

Begaj is also expected to visit community schools where children of the diaspora study the Albanian language.

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President Begaj said Monday that the UN General Assembly represents a key moment to the international cooperation.

“The high-level week of the UN General Assembly is about to begin. This is an important moment for international cooperation, including bilateral meetings and discussions with other world leaders,” President Begaj said via the social media.

President Begaj will attend the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, due to take place in New York on the sidelines of the78th UN General Assembly.

During his stay in New York, President Begaj will also hold bilateral meetings with other heads of state and senior American officials, but also with representatives of Albanian diaspora associations in the USA.

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Rama stated that Albania will not cease fighting for the rightness of Kosovo’s liberation struggle.

In his statement to the UN General Assembly in New York, PM Rama said: “I can’t help but share with you a terrible example: in 2011, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a report, compiled by a zealous parliamentarian, who goes by the name Dick Marty, accusing the Kosovo Liberation Army of the despicable crime of organ trafficking. Mr Marty should have been paid as a story teller, but never trusted as a rapporteur of the Council of Europe. His report was shocking and not only many believed it then, but it became the key factor in enhancing the idea and in establishing the Kosovo specialist Chambers. It also became one of the worst cases of distorted reality, the kind of manifesto for worldwide propaganda against Kosovo independence.”

Rama noted that “every investigative effort was made during these long 11 years to prove these allegations, nationally, regionally and internationally. To no avail. Nothing, not a single shred of evidence or proof was found anywhere, in Kosovo or anywhere else regarding alleged trafficking of organs. Yet, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers that were founded based on that report, have, as we speak, arrested, without indictment Kosova’s sitting president, Hashim Thaçi.”

“We strongly believe that based on this crying lack of evidence whatsoever, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will honor the truth and accept Albania’s request to produce a follow up report and while damage has been done, help restore the credibility of such an important international organization as the Council of Europe,” PM Rama said in his address to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

The government head also urged the UN Security Council to address the cyber security and assist member nations build resilience.

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“It is a special honour to hold this speech as the representative of a country that is, for the first time in its history, joining the Security Council of the United Nations, as a non-permanent member, for the term 2022-2023. The significance of this event for a state that until not too long ago was considered one of the most isolated and repressive countries in the world, and the sense of responsibility with which we take up this role, cannot be overstated. I would like to start by thanking all UN members for their overwhelming support and their trust,” Rama stated.

“Albania brings to the Security Council the perspective of a small but engaged country, aware of the burdens of the past and of the challenges of the future, that has experienced first-hand the limits of isolationism and has discovered the opportunities of multilateral cooperation. Albania is now a country characterised by respect for differences, tolerance of different religions, and appreciation of the contribution that every culture brings,” the Premier said.

“Albania will sit in the Security Council with a clear agenda of priorities, which reflect what modern Albania stands for: the promotion of peace and security, peaceful conflict resolution and mediation; the respect for the rule of law and human rights for all ; increased participation of women and youth in decision-making; universal adherence and full implementation of all non-proliferation and disarmament treaties and conventions; concrete and continued active commitment to the fight against international terrorism, and violent extremism,” he said.

The government head noted that “It is a special pleasure to return, physically, in this Great House of Peace, and be able to share our thoughts on today’s world, including my country’s effort in facing one of the biggest shared challenges, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which, for more that 18 months, has inflicted terrible pain everywhere. Like every other corner of the world, Albania has suffered from this devastating scourge. To this day, more than half of the Albanian population is vaccinated and we expect to have the whole recommended population fully vaccinated during the next 10 months.

“One of the big lessons of this tragedy is that no country can face it alone; and we know now, no one will be safe until everyone is. As we have seen far too often, without cooperation, solidarity and joint actions, the price we pay, individually and collectively, will only be higher. This is why at the height of the Covid crisis last year, dozens of Albanian doctors and nurses went to Italy to help their colleagues in the Lombardy region; in return, we have been fortunate and grateful to welcome Italian doctors’ assistance in the same fight home. I owe here a heartfelt thank you to many that have been there for helping us; to the Republic of Turkey that made possible for us in really difficult moments the necessary doses to start massive vaccination; to the European Union Commission that fought hard to speed up the provision of vaccines from EU to Albania and the Western Balkans, and also to the governments of Italy, Greece, Croatia, Latvia which were there for us with their vaccine donations and to the governments of Poland, Austria and Denmark, which have pledged to help us in the way,” PM Rama underlined.

“I brought here these examples to not forget that we will be able to prevail in this war for life only through a common approach based on deeper solidarity, continued assistance, and uninterrupted cooperation. The sharp inequality to vaccine access – the only way to stop the virus – has once more highlighted the urgency for a different approach, for global initiative, inclusiveness, solidarity and fairness as well as trust to science,” he added.

“This is why we continue to advocate international cooperation and support the proposal for a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response. We must be and stay together, resist any temptation of isolationism and nationalism.  It is necessary to urgently improve vaccine access for all, as unvaccinated people carry the high risk of enabling the emergence of more dangerous and deadly variants that could reverse the gains so painfully made, and expose us all to even more dire consequences,” PM Rama stated.

“If the 75 years long and strong experience of the UN has taught us anything, it is that challenges to peace, development, justice, health and security need the contribution of all, rich and poor, big and small. We firmly believe that, 75 years after its founding, the United Nations remain the cornerstone of the multilateral rule-based world order. With dialogue and concerted efforts through the entire UN System, humanity has made remarkable gains in peace, security and development, in the respect of human rights and human dignity; in empowering women and motivating youth, in helping hundreds of millions of people leave poverty behind,” he went on underlining.

“We must continue to build on these achievements. The people, our fellow citizens, are right to ask for more, for better and faster initiatives, and we must be up to the task,” he stated.

“Let’s remind ourselves that our future, the future if humanity, is shaped by the way we respond and cooperate in the present. Multilateralism is challenged when selfish nationalism prevails. This is one of the most important lessons of the past. Multilateralism can be slow, sometimes frustrating and it does not always produce quick results. But a world without shared rules, obligations and multilateral institutions, is a nightmare we know all too well,” the Premier added.

Therefore – PM Rama went on saying – “we cannot afford to lose faith in a multilateral system. We must work to reform it; not to undermine it and certainly not abandon it. We share UN Secretary General’s concerns in his report on “Our Common Agenda”, and we think that all UN member states have the responsibility to contribute to increasing the functionality of multilateral institutions and mechanisms in order to make a tangible difference to people’s lives.”

“It is exactly in this spirit that Albania successfully chaired the OSCE in 2020, as part of its continued engagement and efforts to strengthen peace, human rights, cooperation and equality in the OSCE area. The Ministerial Council of Tirana agreed on several new commitments on combating transnational organized crime, countering corruption and preventing torture in the OSCE region,” he noted.

“Climate Change is another key priority in our national agenda. We do not need to have repeated extreme weather events, catastrophic flooding and unbearable heat waves, to understand that the continued loss of biodiversity and the unsustainable use and degradation of ecosystems are causing profound and adverse consequences to millions of people and are threatening peace and security.  Convinced of the urgency to curb greenhouse gas emissions in line with Paris agreement and the 2030 Agenda, as of July 2019, the Government of Albania is the first country in the region with an endorsed Strategy on Climate Change and related Action Plans, with policy objectives and concrete actions to reduce greenhouse emissions,” he added.

“A special law on “Climate Change” has been adopted in December 2020. Further, in support of the objectives of the European Union Green Deal, Albania and other Western Balkan countries signed two declarations in November 2020: the Western Balkan countries on the Green Agenda, as well as the creation of a Common Regional Market, which aim at making the economy sustainable and climate-neutral by 2050,” Rama said.

“Albania as a net clean energy producer is also actively engaged in doing its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% in the next decade, and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” PM Rama stated.

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