Mr. Chairperson,
Mr. Secretary General,
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start by congratulating you, dear Didier and your very capable team for the successful chairmanship.
This year’s Ministerial Session is being held against a backdrop of worrying developments in and around Europe. Therefore, the second report that the Secretary General has presented to us today is timely and useful. The Report is also cause for concern in identifying the two main challenges to democratic security: the lack of judicial independence in many countries and threats to media freedom across the European continent.
2015 started with the terrorist attacks in France and Denmark. More than attacks against freedom of expression, they were attacks against the foundations of our democratic societies. They are also clear evidence that terrorism is a threat to all our peoples and countries. Therefore, I believe it is the duty of our Organization to contribute to finding an effective response to the terrorist threat. The Declaration and the Plan of Action against violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism – that we are adopting today – is an important step in this direction. Under the Albanian Chairmanship of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), the Foreign Ministers, meeting in Tirana in February, adopted a Joint Declaration on Terrorism, focusing on the need to work jointly against this threat. Starting today, Albania is hosting a two-day Ministerial meeting on Countering Violent Extremism, as the first follow-on meeting to the White House Summit earlier this year.
I would also like to emphasize the importance of the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism – that we are also adopting today – not only as a tool to implement some of the obligations imposed by the UNSC Resolution 2178, but also as an example of the role the Council of Europe can play in countering the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters.
Let me turn now to the concern of the Secretary General about the state of the justice system in the Council of Europe area. It is worrying, because the failure to provide a fair and independent judicial system erodes the trust of our citizens in the democratic process. Nonetheless, I believe that the Council of Europe is in a unique position to offer support in addressing this challenge, through targeted cooperation activities and “best practices”.
Dear Colleagues,
The Council of Europe has played an important role in helping to anchor Kosovo firmly within the European “community of values.” Our main goal is to ensure that all European citizens – and I stress all, without exception – enjoy the standards of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights and all our Convention system. Therefore, the sooner Kosovo joins the Council of Europe, the sooner its people can enjoy the protection of our Convention system. Keeping Kosovo out deprives Kosovo and its people of the critical support this Organization can provide in strengthening democratic security.
With regard to the crisis in Ukraine, I would like to reiterate Albania’s support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political unity of Ukraine. The Minsk Package of Agreements offers a real opportunity for a peaceful negotiated solution to the crisis in Eastern Ukraine.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to draw your attention to the developments in neighboring Macedonia. I am not referring only to the fighting, deaths and destruction in the city of Kumanovo only a few days ago, events that, not least because of the complex ethnic and social composure of Macedonia, require full transparency. I would urge you to consider the developments in Macedonia from the perspective of democratic security – a security based on our commitment, as members of the Council of Europe,to pluralist and parliamentary democracy, the indivisibility and universality of human rights, the rule of law and our common cultural heritage, enriched by its diversity. Inter-ethnic relations are vital for the existence of Macedonia, as is the full implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Calling what has been happening in Macedonia “outbreaks of inter-ethnic and inter-religious confrontation” is more than a misnomer; it is irresponsible, and an attempt to flame-up inter- or intra-ethnic tensions. That is not in the interest of Macedonia’s, our region’s or Europe’s stability.
Finally, I would like to wish every success to Bosnia and Herzegovina for its incoming chairmanship.
Thank you.