The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhaçka, was received in a special meeting by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

Albania’s candidacy as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the country’s contribution to UN peacekeeping missions were the main talking points of the meeting, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Mr. Guterres praised the observance and implementation of Resolution 1325, as well as Albania’s role and dignified representation in all UN missions, such as the one in South Sudan, where Albania has been providing its contribution for two years via the Armed Forces.

Minister Xhaçka confirmed that Albania’s commitment will continue to extend to other areas under the UN umbrella. She presented to the UN Secretary-General the priorities that Albania brings to the highest political decision-making table in the world, where our country is expected to sit in January 2022, after the vote of the UN General Assembly this coming Friday.

“We will work closely together to advance our shared priorities. The best of wishes to the Secretary-General on his reelection for a second mandate” said Minister Xhaçka after the meeting.

On June 11, the UN General Assembly will vote on five new non-permanent members to the UN Security Council: Albania, Gabon, Ghana, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Albania participates in these elections as a consensual candidate of the group of Eastern European countries.

During her stay in New York, Minister Xhaçka held meetings with senior diplomatic representatives of UN Security Council member states, introducing Albania’s priorities for the 2022–2023 period:

– Respect for women’s rights, as a contribution to lasting peace and security, with special emphasis on the use of sexual violence as a tool and tactic of war;

– Respect for human rights and international law;

– The fight against violent extremism;

– Climate change and its links to global security risks;

– Working methods of the Security Council.