| s-1
| It is my special pleasure to address the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. |
| s-2
| This universal forum has enabled the peoples of the world to coordinate and harmonize their efforts in preserving peace and security, in achieving prosperity and upholding the values of human civilization. |
| s-3
| I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on being elected to preside over this august body and to express my confidence in your successful leadership. |
| s-4
| I would also like, on behalf of Albania, to convey to the Secretary-General our highest appreciation for his leading contribution to the fulfilment of the historical mission of the United Nations and to the aspirations of our peoples for a better world in which only peace, democracy and economic prosperity reign. |
| s-5
| This session of the General Assembly takes place in a milestone year for Europe. |
| s-6
| Only a few months ago, a historic event vitalized the dream of a more united and stronger Europe. |
| s-7
| Ten European countries, sharing a common aspiration for integration, were admitted into the European Union. |
| s-8
| The Albanian Government and society are engaged in an all-round European integration process, and they are carrying out necessary reforms with the necessary political will and drive. |
| s-9
| Albania is working to strengthen the democratic institutions and capacities of its central and local government with a view to bringing its legislation and conditions into line with European Union standards, progressively achieving concrete and measurable results, as previously defined. |
| s-10
| Determined to make our contribution to regional and global security, the Albanian Government considers the country's integration into NATO to be one of its major objectives. |
| s-11
| The NATO Istanbul Summit last June commended the progress made by my country in this regard and encouraged the deepening of reforms. |
| s-12
| It welcomed Albania's contribution to regional stability and cooperation and committed to assess our further progress at the next NATO summit, which would hopefully mark the start of negotiations for our full membership in the alliance. |
| s-13
| We believe that the commitments set up in the framework of the Adriatic Charter are also contributing to meet NATO standards, to the benefit of regional stability and security. |
| s-14
| We remain truly convinced that the respect and protection of human rights and freedoms are the main pillars of a pluralist democratic society. |
| s-15
| The Government of the Republic of Albania will continue to constantly demonstrate its commitment to a full implementation of the standards enshrined in the United Nations and Council of Europe conventions, as well as the relevant documents of regional organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in which we are playing a very active role. |
| s-16
| We will continue to do so in the future as well. |
| s-17
| By adopting contemporary legislation and by becoming a party to other recently adopted international instruments on human rights, Albania has associated itself with countries that are enforcing a number of national strategies and programmes focusing on specific population groups, especially women, children, persons in need and minorities, among others. |
| s-18
| In recent years, the Albanian Government has started to periodically submit reports to the committees of the six main United Nations human rights treaties and is taking their recommendations into serious consideration. |
| s-19
| It is our belief that these international mechanisms play a significant and important role as guardians of the common human values we have together adopted. |
| s-20
| Albania, as one of the 191 signatory countries of the Millennium Declaration, remains fully committed to implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, which have been properly reflected in a national strategy for social and economic development. |
| s-21
| The pattern of our sustained economic growth, which is at 6 to 7 per cent for the seventh consecutive year, is a good support base for the whole society to maintain higher standards of respect for human rights and to fight poverty and crime. |
| s-22
| I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations specialized agencies for their valuable assistance in support of the implementation of these objectives nationwide and on a central and local level. |
| s-23
| The Albanian Government is pleased to note that an ever-healthier climate of confidence and relations of bilateral and multilateral cooperation are prevailing in the South-Eastern European region. |
| s-24
| The countries of the region are fully engaged in a process that will lead us clearly toward Euro-Atlantic integration and at the same time continually remove us from the extremist tendencies that caused a number of conflicts in the last decade. |
| s-25
| The regional policy of my Government is guided by the motto: 'the more integrated in the region, the more integrated in Europe.' |
| s-26
| In implementing this policy, Albania is cooperating as never before with all the countries of the region by making borders less relevant, opening up to one regional market the implementation of free trade agreements and free movement corridors, and stimulating foreign direct investment. |
| s-27
| We are especially cooperating with the common fight against organized crime and all kinds of illegal trafficking. |
| s-28
| In the meantime, Albania is reinforcing its border management and control, guided by the European Union and NATO standards. |
| s-29
| My country will hold general parliamentary elections by the middle of next year. |
| s-30
| We are committed to doing all that is required to ensure that the election process is fully compatible with international standards for free and fair elections. |
| s-31
| To that end, we are committed to continuing to work with relevant specialized institutions on elections by fully implementing especially OSCE/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) recommendations. |
| s-32
| For us, the process and standards are more important than the results of the elections. |
| s-33
| In the context of strengthening regional cooperation, my country is committed to a more enhanced partnership with all regional organizations and initiatives that serve the promotion of good neighbourly relations; the strengthening of regional peace, security and stability; ensuring political support for integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, and attracting financing for national and regional projects in priority fields such as energy, transportation and telecommunications. |
| s-34
| On its path towards European integration, the South-East European region is still facing pending challenges, such as the future of Kosovo. |
| s-35
| Albania greatly appreciates the recent democratic and integration developments in Kosovo, thanks to the efforts of the respective peoples and the partnership of its self-governing institutions with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). |
| s-36
| Allow me at this point to congratulate Mr. Soren Jessen-Petersen, Special Representative for Kosovo of the United Nations Secretary-General, in assuming this very important duty. |