Address by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, at the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (September 22, 2022)
"Dear President of the General Assembly,
Dear Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honor for me to address you on behalf of the Republic of Serbia.
Do not mind, due to limited time, today I will skip the burden of formality, polite addresses, greeting those present and absent and speak directly to the essence of what we have met for.
I am here for the umpteenth time. The gravity of the moment we are in obliges me to share with you some hard words, but true ones. Everything we do here today seems, to put it mildly, impotent and pale. Our words ring hollow and empty against the reality we are faced with. And that reality is that nobody really listens to anyone here, nobody strives for real agreements and problem solving, and almost everyone only cares about satisfying their own interests, often trampling in the process the basic principles of international law, throwing the UN Charter and other documents under their feet on which this organization is based. This is not the fault of Antonio Guterres or anyone from the UN, but rather those forces that do not care about anything except the satisfaction of their own political, economic and, unfortunately, military goals.
We are witnessing that the age in which we live is characterized by the complexity of the global geopolitical situation. Our general debate is taking place in conditions of disturbed world peace, to an extent not seen since the Second World War and since the founding of the United Nations. The global challenges we face threaten to fundamentally change the international security architecture and threaten the established international legal order. Such complex times require a lot of wisdom and unity in order to preserve peace as the absolute most important asset woven into the very foundations of the United Nations organization.
Therefore, I want to precisely and clearly present to you my view on the five key challenges we are facing today:
1. Return to peace and preservation of global stability;
2. Preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of internationally recognized states, members of this organization, as a key principle of international public law and relations between states;
3. Energy security in conditions of global crisis;
4. Financial security of the poor and developing countries;
5. Food supply in conditions of global supply lines cut by war;
Current global conditions remind us more and more often that the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes has no alternative. This principle is more important today than ever and is best described in the preamble of the United Nations Charter which calls for us to be tolerant and to live together in peace with each other as good neighbors. Renunciation of the use of force and peaceful settlement of disputes are the pillars on which world stability is based, but they must be accompanied by principles such as non-selective respect of the Charter of the United Nations, the application of binding resolutions of the UN Security Council and the basic principles of valid international public law.
Point 2: Preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of internationally recognized states, members of this organization;
Serbia supports the territorial integrity of all UN member states, including, of course, the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In this way, we behaved responsibly, seriously in this high house. From many speakers we heard stories about aggression and violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Many say it is the first conflict on European soil since World War II. But the truth, that for the first time the integrity of a country in Europe was violated, namely Serbia, which did not attack any other sovereign country, is persistently kept silent. We are looking for a clear answer to the question that I have been asking my interlocutors, the leaders of many countries, for years - what is the difference between the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, which has been grossly violated, and what do many of you give international recognition and legitimacy to? I never got a rational answer to that question from anyone.
I will remind you - Serbia has never set foot on someone else's territory, nor threatened the territorial integrity of any sovereign state, so that anyone would intervene or carry out aggression against it, as was done in 1999. However, that did not prevent the 19 richest NATO countries from attacking a sovereign country without the decision of the United Nations Security Council. The fact that, after the end of the armed conflict, an agreement was signed with NATO, the provisions of which provided for the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, which confirmed and guaranteed Serbia's partial sovereignty and complete territorial integrity, did not prevent many Western countries from recognizing the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo once again violate the territorial integrity of our country, the Charter of the United Nations and Resolution 1244.
Precisely because of this experience that Serbia went through and is still going through, I am convinced that I have every right to quote the words of the great Martin Luther King in this place - injustice committed anywhere is also a threat to justice everywhere. These words stand as a reminder, but also a warning to all of us.
Regardless of the fact that we are still feeling the consequences of the gross violation of the basic provisions of international public law, we are not giving up on the fundamental principles of the United Nations. We will continue to advocate for consistent respect for the principle of inviolability of borders, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other member states of the United Nations. Despite our position, many in this room still have a problem with respecting the territorial integrity of Serbia. Are you wondering why? Because they have the power and we are small and weak in their eyes. However, as you could hear, we still have the strength to present the truth in this place.
Excellencies,
We owe special thanks to all those member states of the United Nations, and they currently constitute the majority in this Assembly, who support the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, especially in the area and territory of Kosovo and Metohija. It is additionally encouraging that the number of countries supporting Serbia's positions increased in the period between the two sessions, which is a trend that must continue, because it is of particular importance to remain faithful to the basic principles embedded in the United Nations Charter, such as the principle of the inviolability of borders.
The Republic of Serbia and I, as its president, are very patiently and with a lot of good will looking for a compromise regarding Kosovo and Metohija, under the auspices of the European Union, and within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. It is a difficult process, it has been going on for more than ten years, but we do not see an alternative. It is better to negotiate for a hundred years than to fight for a day. I hope that we will reach a mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, because this is absolutely the only way to achieve our goal, which is the establishment of long-term peace, as a prerequisite for a prosperous life for Serbs and Albanians and for the entire region. We have already exhausted all other options and, at least as far as Serbia is concerned, we never dream of returning to the path of conflict, conflict and bloodshed. The Balkan region cannot bear another conflict. I trust that in this effort we will have the goodwill and understanding of our international partners, because they also know very well that some previous decisions of their governments were bad and did not work for the future of our region and world peace. Belgrade conducts this process in very complex circumstances in which there is a hybrid war and a dirty campaign on the part of the international public against our country in various fields. It is enough to remind you of the quotes and statements of the world media that Serbia will attack its neighbors and that it represents a threat to regional stability. Of course, that never happened, and it was just one in a series of numerous lies against the Republic of Serbia. Serbia is characterized as a potential factor of destabilization in the region, only because it would not tell the truth - that the principle of inviolability of borders must apply equally to everyone. Serbia was and will be a factor of stability in the entire region. Serbia, despite many falsehoods and falsifications, supports the Dayton Peace Agreement, the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the integrity of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the other hand, we are convinced that the peoples of the Balkans have the capacity to continue coexistence in the future as friends and partners who have a common vision of membership in a united Europe. I know that well, because we have already overcome many barriers that stood between our peoples for years and cost us thousands of lives and a wasted future. Serbia and Albania, for example, today have the closest and most friendly relations in their centuries-long shared history on the Balkan Peninsula.
It was only necessary to talk soberly and pragmatically about our future, not about our past. To talk about how to solve the problems that plague our people, our companies, workers, students and entrepreneurs. We discussed a lot and came up with numerous solutions that have already removed the barriers that existed between us without any rational reason. First of all in the economy, trade and the flow of people and capital. For three years, Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia have been implementing the Open Balkans project, which has a clear vision - to open the region for people, for goods, services, for capital and companies, in order to get an area that will be permanently free of tension, tension and conflict. In addition to the unquestionable joint economic benefit that this initiative brings with it, it also has a wider dimension, above all, in bringing people of different cultures together and promoting diversity, which certainly contributes to the general development of societies in this part of Europe. In this way, Serbia actually continues to contribute to peace, stability and the process of reconciliation in the region, and thus certainly makes a significant contribution to security at the global level.
We had inspiration for this in the words of one of the greatest diplomats in history and the great Secretary General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, that this organization was not created to take the human race to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have barely suppressed the global pandemic, but we have already faced new challenges that we did not expect in this century. While as humanity, step by step, we are rapidly advancing technologically, existential problems such as energy security, financial security of developing countries, and disruptions in the supply chain of basic foodstuffs have appeared before us. The solidarity that was necessary in the fight against the pandemic is even more needed today when people's basic needs for food and energy are threatened.
The Republic of Serbia views its energy security as an inseparable part of national security and as a key prerequisite for the continued economic development and progress of our country. We strive to ensure the continuity of the energy supply, but we share the concern about the current geopolitical challenges that threaten global and European energy stability. We remain committed to finding solutions that could have transformative power in efforts to achieve regional and European energy security. I would like to emphasize that the Republic of Serbia managed to maintain continuity in the supply of energy during the current crisis. Nevertheless, we remain vitally interested in diversification of supply sources, additional investments in energy infrastructure, but also in faster and more efficient capacity development based on renewable sources of supply.
We at the United Nations have called the current decade the decade of a more sustainable and resilient future, of action and transformation. She has to stay that way, but at a slightly faster pace! Uneven development, as well as the financial vulnerability of developing countries, cause additional social stratification and inevitably lead to new antagonisms. Balanced development must not be limited or conditioned either geographically or politically, but must be made possible for all people regardless of ethnic, racial, cultural or religious affiliation.
Before us is another very important challenge that we must overcome with joint efforts, and that is to find the most effective way to avoid the consequences that the current international crisis has on global food supply security. The development of the situation is extremely alarming, and the reality is that we are all affected, without exception. The rising cost of food and its availability became an additional problem. The task of all of us is to find operational and efficient solutions that will not leave anyone behind. It is up to us states, as the most important international entities, to individually join in the coordination of measures, primarily by contributing to this noble task at the national level, in order to preserve the most valuable - human lives and their dignity.
The theme of this year's General Debate reminds us of the preciousness of the moment and the interconnectedness of challenges on the international level. The crises we face remind us of the importance of open communication. It doesn't take much wisdom to conclude that challenges can only be successfully overcome if their causes are properly identified. Serbia believes that it is imperative that the current challenges must not in any way deepen divisions in the world, and that the already obvious and tendentious polarization on the global level should give way to the principles of multilateralism.
I would like to emphasize that the Republic of Serbia participates in collective efforts to achieve the goals of sustainable development and implement the 2030 Agenda. Serbia shares the Secretary General's vision of the future of global cooperation as determined by Our Common Agenda and strongly supports inclusive, networked and effective multilateralism, as the best means of responding to humanity's most pressing challenges.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Multilateralism, collective action and joint responsibility are indispensable elements of our discussions so far, but let me point out that the starting point of any such constructive engagement is solidarity.
Finally, I want to confirm that the Republic of Serbia will continue to be a reliable partner in achieving the common goals defined within the United Nations, firmly believing that this is the best way to build a better world for us and our future generations. But we must not forget that the United Nations is only as strong as we respect the jointly agreed decisions and acts of this organization.
I would like to quote something that we have heard 23 times so far, which is: The Charter of the United Nations is the only standard that must be respected. We heard that from everyone. In the case of the Republic of Serbia, 17 of the 23 who spoke about the UN Charter and UN resolutions violated public international law and did not respect the rules established by the United Nations. I hope we can overcome all the difficulties and make the rules and procedures the same for everyone in the world. Otherwise, I see no exit at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for your attention. Long live Serbia!"
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