I thank our partners, including Australia and the UN police, for their support. Solomon Islands looks forward to increasing its peacekeeping contribution in the coming year. Mr. president, leaving no one behind demands that we complete the unfinished work of decolonization. Solomon Islands reaffirms its long standing support for the right to self-determination of the Kanak people of New Caledonia and the Maohi Nui people of French Polynesia. The UN decolonization process must offer more than hope. It must provide practical pathways to the full emancipation of peoples in non-self-governing territories, and to their freedom to determine their own political future and development aspirations. In the same spirit, I turn to West Papua, whose people are our Melanesian brothers and sisters. Solomon Islands respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia, and we value our friendship with its government and people. Yet it is precisely because of that friendship that we speak with candor. Reports of human rights violations in West Papua have persisted for far too long.

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Mr. president. Development requires peace and stability. Equatorial Guinea defends dialogue, negotiation, mediation and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Our own experience demonstrates this. Equatorial Guinea and the Gabonese Republic are a clear example of commitment to peaceful settlement because they submitted their territorial disputes to the International Court of Justice. Today, both states continue to make progress on implementation through bilateral dialogue. We express our recognition and gratitude for the valuable support of the United Nations and the African Union in that process in which we have shown that it is possible to preserve ties of friendship, cooperation and good neighbourliness. At the same time, Equatorial Guinea has its doors wide open for investors and partners from around the world.

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Mr. President, when tragedy strikes, we must act as our brothers and sisters keepers. This too builds and restores trust among nations and strengthens the United Nations. Mr. President, friendship also is a form of trust, and I wish in this august body to recognize our country's 45 years of diplomatic ties and friendship with Taiwan that has seen us work together in development, in disaster response, education and in public health. Taiwan has shown time and again that they are prepared to be a responsible member of the international community.

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It will bring together young people with over 100 chess masters from around the globe, using chess as a tool to promote education, dialogue, friendship, peace among generations. Mr. President, our accession to ASEAN, 26 October 2025, was a historic moment for our country, marking the culmination of a 14-year process that began when Timor-Leste formally applied for membership in March 2011. Fellow ASEAN leaders provided us generally technical assistance, capacity building, and practical guidance, and they continue to do so. It is required of us strong institutions, capable public servants, effective implementation of ASEAN commitments across political, security, economic, and sociocultural communities. Our foreign policy seeks friendship with all, and hostilities, none. We aim to maintain balanced constructive relations with all our major powers' development partners. Timor-Leste also brings the energy and aspiration of young population. Our young people are increasingly connected to the region and eager to learn, work, and contribute. As ASEAN works towards Community Vision 2045, Timor-Leste will support a united, people-centered and resilient ASEAN. We will also support ASEAN centrality and constructive relations with all external partners. We are a small island developing state, a least developed country, and a nation whose history demonstrates both the necessity and the possibilities of multilateralism. Last but not least, in parting, I want to share a selected message from children and youth who responded to my invitation a few days ago to write a few words expressing their hopes and dreams, so that they are here and they are listening back home in Timor-Leste.

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Mr. President, Mr. Secretary— Pleasure to do so here in the United States, a country with which Romania shares a long history of friendship, a nation toward which Romanians look with respect and gratitude, including for its essential contribution to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the opening of my country's path toward democracy and freedom. We are at the United Nations, and I will speak about relations between nations, but let me first draw your attention to a threat to our democracies that I do not believe is receiving the interest it deserves: manipulation via social media.

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Mr. president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Your excellencies, heads of State and Government. Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations. Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of His Excellency, Mr. Alassane Ouattara, president of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, and of the government and people of Cote d'Ivoire, I wish to extend our warm congratulations to the president of the General Assembly on his election to preside over the 81st session of our organization and to assure him of Cote d'Ivoire's full support in the discharge of his important mandate. And as his tenure draws to a close, I would also like to pay a heartfelt tribute to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres. Over the past decade, he has exercised his high office with profound humanity and absolute fidelity to the ideals of the charter of the United Nations in an international context that has been among the most trying in the contemporary history of our organization. Cote d'Ivoire wishes to express its deep gratitude to him for the excellence of our cooperation, which has grown stronger throughout his term. Mr. Secretary General, President Alassane Ouattara has asked me to convey to you his warmest regards, grounded in high esteem and friendship, as well as his sincere wishes for success in the next chapters of your distinguished career. Mr. President.

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These directions bode ill for the aims and objectives of the United Nations. A persistent threat to peace has been the scourge of terrorism. That this could be state sponsored with cross border purpose makes it a direct affront to the global order. Governments indulging in such practices must be held accountable. There must be no dilution in our zero tolerance approach towards terrorism. Its financial aspects in particular should be exposed and should be countered. Mr. President, yesterday a serious practitioner of terrorism misrepresented facts. Before this assembly, arguments were invoked to normalise terrorism and claim immunity from its consequences. That will not stand. Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised. Mr. President, friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism, and understandings premised on that will naturally be called into question. It is for the perpetrator of terrorism to mend its ways.

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Mr. President, it is in this spirit that Indonesia presents its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2029 2030 term. Our commitment is clear: fostering unity, advancing peace. Fostering unity means rebuilding trust in the multilateral system and keeping channels of dialogue open. Advancing peace requires us to uphold international law and make effective use of the tools available to us. Indonesia will work to keep dialogue open, build common ground and turn shared responsibility into practical cooperation. We will uphold the UN charter consistently to maintain international peace and security. We will bring the same principle that guides our foreign policy to engage with all and keep the space for cooperation open. As President Prabowo Subianto mentioned in this very lectern last year, 1000 friends are too few and one enemy is too many. The same approach guides Indonesia's engagement with all partners through ASEAN, G20, D-8, BRICS, MIKTA and the UN. Indonesia will extend the friendship to deliver practical cooperation. Mr. President, 81 years ago, Indonesia fought against colonialism so we could chart our own future. Today, we reaffirm our promise for a future peace we all share. Also one year ago, President Prabowo Subianto called upon us to draw closer, not drift apart. Today, I carry that call forward. And as we draw closer, let us also make each other stronger. Strong enough for our nations to withstand crisis. Strong enough for our regions to preserve cooperation. Strong enough for our institutions to deliver for people. Because resilience is not simply about surviving the storms, it is about having the strength to keep moving forward together, and only through our collective resilience can the United Nations be strong enough to fulfill the promise we made 81 years ago a future of peace for generations to come.

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The Russia-Ukraine war is a painful reminder of the tragic human toll that occurs when diplomacy gives way to conflict, and how challenging it is to de-escalate tensions once violence erupts. The Strait of Hormuz situation demonstrates how quickly disruption in an important waterway threatens international stability, energy security, and trade worldwide. Reaffirming the primary responsibility of the UN Charter to maintain global peace and security, we uphold the sovereignty of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, and condemn the actions of Iran to jeopardize maritime security and aim to obstruct, close, and interfere with international navigation through the Strait. At our Pacific leaders' meeting in Palau, leaders expressed deep concern that China's ballistic missile test overflew several Pacific nations without adequate notice. Let me remind you: our region must never be treated as an empty expanse for strategic competition or test of military power. The Pacific is home to peoples, communities, cultures, fisheries, and ecosystems. It is the foundation of our security and the source of our nourishment and lifeline for the global community. In the face of these risks, the Pacific way is to address tensions before they become crisis, make room for dialogue before disagreement becomes conflict, seek inclusion rather than isolation, and uphold respect, restraint, and international law. The Pacific is our home, not a theater for geopolitical competition. It must remain an Ocean of Peace where nations meet in cooperation, international law is respected, and the security of the Pacific peoples is never compromised. In Palau, we say we are a friend to all. We choose our partners based on our shared values of democracy, human rights, and a rules-based international order, principles that underpin our friendship with Taiwan, a trusted partner that can contribute even more fully if given the space to do so.

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From primarily a recipient of invaluable assistance during the years of Doi Moi, Vietnam today is making proactive contributions to our common endeavours while deepening and broadening our substantive relations with the UN. Vietnamese military personnel and police officers have served and will continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations, carrying our nation's aspiration for peace to places where peace remains fragile. A tradition of independence and self-reliance provides a foundation for Vietnam to strengthen its strategic autonomy and proactively pursue international integration. Looking towards our goal of becoming a developing country with a modern industrial base and upper middle income by 2030 and developed high income country by 2045, Vietnam is establishing a new development model based on productivity, quality and added value with science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as key drivers, with economic growth closely linked to cultural development, social progress and equity and environmental protection. Autonomy also means proactively adapting and cooperating with the world on an equal footing. Vietnam, therefore, pursues a consistent foreign policy of independence, autonomy, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and of multilateralism and diversification of external relations. Vietnam will remain steadfast in upholding the UN charter and international law, promoting dialogue on the peaceful settlement of disputes and deepening its participation in UN peacekeeping missions. Vietnam is working with fellow ASEAN member states to build a united, self-reliant and resilient ASEAN and actively preparing to host APEC in 2027 and as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Vietnam champions dialogue and cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights and ensuring that all can share the fruits of development. We stand ready to share our experience in poverty reduction, agricultural development and climate change adaptation, and work with partners to broaden cooperation for common interests. The world will continue to change. The direction for such change will depend on the choices we make and the responsibilities we shoulder today. Vietnam chooses peace, cooperation and development. We will work steadfastly with all countries to strengthen the UN, uphold international law and translate our shared commitments into tangible benefits for our people. We believe that with a strong UN, together we can build a more peaceful, equitable, inclusive and better world for all. And on this journey, Vietnam will remain an active member, a reliable partner and a responsible nation, always standing ready to contribute to the common endeavours of the international community.

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The balanced and balancing foreign policy adopted by Armenia stems from the logic of multipolarity, which is one of the key principles of the United Nations. In recent years we have established strategic relations with Georgia, France, China, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, the United States of America, and the European Union. Today, by the way, the European Commission approved the decision to adopt autonomous trade measures for Armenia, which is yet another manifestation of the new quality of Armenia-EU relations. Our relations with Russia are in a transformation phase, and this is a natural process because throughout the entire preceding period, the largest factor influencing relations between Armenia and Russia was the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Now that we have established peace with Azerbaijan, Armenia-Russia relations will naturally change and it is our desire that these relations develop on the basis of the principles of friendship and mutual respect. We will, of course, continue to develop our relations with partners located closer to or farther from Armenia. And in this regard, I would like to highlight the countries of Central Asia with which our relations are also highly dynamic. But I also cannot but emphasize that the normalization and deepening of relations with our neighbors are nevertheless of key importance for our foreign policy vision. I have already spoken about the dynamics of our relations with Azerbaijan. We have a high-level dialogue with Turkey, and I want to confirm the words expressed by President Erdogan from this podium the other day, that we are resolutely pushing forward the process of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations. Our relations with our two other neighbors, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Georgia, remain of exceptional importance to us, and our good neighborliness continues to develop and deepen. The Republic of Armenia considers its contribution to the region's stability and development to be our key task in international peace, stability and development. Honorable President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. This October, Armenia will host the 17th conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the COP17.

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It is this message that His Serene Highness Prince Albert the Second, the Prince of Monaco, charged me with bringing to this rostrum with his greetings of trust and friendship. President, the Principality of Monaco wishes sincerely to congratulate you upon your election to the presidency of this 81st session, for which you have chosen the topic Restoring Trust, Managing transformation: a UN that delivers for all. You can count on the full support of my country, and I also wish to warmly thank the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who is finishing his second mandate amidst particularly grave circumstances.

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the people of Palestine should be allowed their own state and full membership of the UN alongside the State of Israel. We also speak today about Haiti. Member states of this organization must act in a manner that will restore the trust of the people of Haiti in the United Nations. Some member States have failed to meet the commitments and pledges to the gang suppression force in Haiti whose one year mandate ends this month. The Security Council is urged to renew the force's mandate and member states to provide the necessary resources to operate effectively and successfully. While gang violence is the main factor to be resolved in Haiti, the crisis in this country is multidimensional. The international response must include long term social and economic assistance that will help restore an acceptable quality of life for the people of Haiti. This is why the Caribbean community has been actively engaged in Haiti, a Caribbean country, a Caribbean community member state, to assist with a solution to the political and governance dimensions of the crisis. Through its Eminent Persons Group comprising three Prime ministers, it will continue to facilitate dialogue amongst Haiti's political and civil society stakeholders as they work towards holding the first round of general elections this year. Trust in the United Nations will be restored if the daily lives of the people of Haiti are transformed and enhanced. It is in a similar quest for trust and transformation that Saint Lucia believes there should be dialogue and the removal of obstacles that hinder the true development of the people of Cuba. Cuba has long been celebrated for its continued contribution to health, education and development across our region and beyond. Saint Lucia stands with the Cuban people in their hope for a better future, supported by the friendship and solidarity of the international community. In the same spirit of transformation and consistent with our commitment to the right of all people to self-determination, Saint Lucia supports Taiwan's full membership in the United Nations.

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Specifically, my government's foreign policy is guided by national interests by the defense of our sovereignty, and by the pursuit of results. That national interest I refer to also has a specific objective that is ensuring the prosperity of our people. Foreign policy should serve to create jobs, to attract investment and technology, to open markets, and to create opportunities for Colombians. With that goal in mind, I wish to extend an invitation to the world. Come to Colombia, invest in Colombia grow and prosper with Colombia. Believe in Colombia. I don't promise you a perfect country, but I can assure you that I am working tirelessly to build you a nation that is, to build a nation that is safer, more prosperous, and with more opportunities for its people. Colombia does not come before the world today to ask others to do for us what it is our responsibility to do for ourselves rebuilding our country, restoring security, growing the economy, protecting our institutions, and giving opportunities back to millions of people are first and foremost responsibilities that fall to Colombians. But we also know that no nation can turn its back on the world. We need partners and friends with whom we can trade, invest, exchange knowledge, and address common threats. That is the Colombia that I present to you today, a country that is well aware of its difficulties, but also of its enormous potential. A country that doesn't try to hide its problems, but rather to confront them. A country that is getting back on its feet and knows where it wants to go. To the nations represented here, I extend my hand respectfully and through friendship. Colombia wants to work with you on everything that we can build together. I want within a few years, when the world looks again at my country, I want them to see a nation that is safer, more prosperous, more well respected and above all, far more confident in its own abilities. And if that is the Colombia that the world sees, there'll be no need to explain what I meant when I spoke of the Patria Milagro, the miracle nation.

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We choose the international law. We choose dialogue over coercion, human dignity over domination and cooperation over confrontation. Fiji calls for the peaceful settlement of conflicts wherever they occur. We urge all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law and return to the negotiating table. The charter does not apply differently according to who is involved or where. Fiji asks the same of every party in every theatre. Energy, food security and supply chains are inseparable from peace. The freedoms of navigation guaranteed under the international law, including the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea, must be respected. Fiji will continue to serve in the United Nations peacekeeping operations. We ask only that they be properly mandated, properly financed and properly supported, and we support renewed investment in prevention, mediation and the quiet diplomacy that stops wars before they begin. We carry a very simple conviction the life of a stranger is worth protecting. Dialogue is worth pursuing, and peace, however difficult, is always worth building. Mr. president, the Pacific knows the cost of militarization and nuclear testing. Our ocean carries the memory of decisions made elsewhere, but suffered by Pacific peoples. That memory strengthens our determination that the Blue Pacific remain a region of peace. The Ocean of Peace Declaration expresses a regional vision grounded in sovereignty, international law, and rejection of coercion. Our message to all partners is clear the Pacific world welcomes our friendship, investment and genuine cooperation. But our ocean must not become a theater in which others settle their rivalries.

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We note with deep concern that the establishment of unlawful settlements may be a major obstacle to peace. Mr. president, I now come to an issue which for Mauritius is non-negotiable. It concerns our sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The agreement on the Chagos Archipelago, signed by Mauritius and the United Kingdom in May 2025, stands as living proof that trust in multilateralism and UN judicial organs can achieve the peaceful settlement of disputes and the completion of our nation's decolonization, and restore the rights of Mauritians of Chagossian origin by force of law. Trust, especially amongst neighbours and in the region, is reinforced when there is respect for the rule of law, for the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, the ruling of the International Tribunal on the law of the sea and the ICJ's advisory opinion on the Chagos Archipelago, which carries authoritative obligations. We trust that states which laid the very foundation of the new post-war legal order will recommit to full respect and compliance with international law and correct this historical injustice without delay, as William Ewart Gladstone, a four term former British prime minister and great campaigner for peace and freedom, put it justice delayed is justice denied. Monsieur le président. Mr. President, Tromelin Island is an integral part of the territory of the Republic of Mauritius. We have constantly maintained our position concerning the sovereignty of the Republic of Mauritius over this island. We reiterate our call upon France to engage constructively with a view to resolving the dispute relating to Tromelin Island in the spirit of friendship which characterises relations between our two countries.

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Distinguished colleagues, when we speak of reparatory justice, sovereignty, and solidarity, Haiti cannot be an afterthought. Approximately 1.47 million people are internally displaced, while nearly half of the population faces acute food insecurity. In the very near future, the first round of presidential and legislative elections will take place. The Haitian people must choose their leaders freely, credibly, and safely. Mr. President, Saint Kitts and Nevis joins CARICOM in calling for the full deployment of the United Nations' authorized gang suppression force and the timely renewal of its mandate alongside Haitian-led recovery and governance. Mr. President, we remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba. Saint Kitts and Nevis has contributed to humanitarian relief to the Cuban people and our own nationals studying there. We welcome the recent measures undertaken by the Cuban government to improve the well-being of its people and encourage further meaningful action. We urge constructive dialogue between the governments of Cuba and the United States. Engagement, mutual respect, and cooperation offer the best path to improving the lives of the Cuban people and advancing peace and stability throughout our region. Mr. President, Saint Kitts and Nevis remains steadfast in its friendship with the Republic of China Taiwan and supports for its meaningful international participation. Earlier this year, we joined other member states in requesting Taiwan's observer participation in the 79th World Health Assembly.

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Mr. president, doctor Khalilur Rahman, Excellency, Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. Your Majesties Excellencies, head of State and government, heads of delegation, distinguished delegates. Ladies and gentlemen it is a distinct honor for me to address this assembly on behalf of His Excellency, Mr. Adama Barrow, president of the Republic of the Gambia. I bring to this hall the warm greetings of the government and people of the Gambia, together with our enduring friendship, solidarity and goodwill to all nations represented here. Mr. president allow me at the outset to congratulate you most warmly on your election as president of the 81st session of the General Assembly. The Gambia assures you of our full support and constructive cooperation as you guide our collective work under the timely theme you have chosen: restoring trust and managing transformation so that the United Nations can deliver for all. That theme speaks directly to the moment in which we meet. Permit me also to express our profound appreciation to your predecessor, Miss Annalena Baerbock, for the dedication, dignity and determination with which she presided over the 80th session of the General Assembly. I also wish to place on record The Gambia's appreciation for the Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, and Deputy Secretary general Amina Mohammed, whose steady and principled leadership, through years of compounding global crisis, have done much to keep the flame of multilateral cooperation alight even as the winds against it have grown fiercer.

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We cannot call upon security in and of itself to bear the burden of peace. Economic recovery needs to be the other pillar. This is why we welcome the decision taken by the administration of President Donald Trump to extend through 2028 the trade preference known as HOPE/HELP. We are deeply grateful for this gesture of friendship, which is an important step for our economic recovery, and we call for it to be extended by ten years. We also want to extend our gratitude to the United Kingdom for the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, and we call upon more countries to put in place similar mechanisms that are capable of transforming access to markets and to opportunities for trade and investment. Haiti needs investment to craft its future. This is why today Haiti is calling for a paradigm shift. We need to move from aid to investment, from assistance to production, from dependency to partnership, and we must gradually transform resources mobilized in order to manage the crisis into investments that can create jobs and sustainable opportunities, in particular for our young people and our women. Because when you no longer hear the sound of the guns, you need to hear the sounds of peace: engines that are starting, construction sites that are beginning work again, bustling markets, women that are running businesses, young people that are working, the laughter of children that are playing, and our streets that again, are rediscovering the rhythm of our music and our life. Those who have had the privilege of knowing Haiti know that this country exists behind the images of crises. There's a people that is welcoming and has a vibrant culture with unique knowledge, with stunning beaches and heritage, and exceptional richness. We need to recreate the conditions so that the world can come to Haiti again to discover it, invest in it, do business there and stay there and come back.

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Which means restoring trust, rebuilding alliances, remaking friendships must be the central mission for all of us here at home and abroad. It must also be the central mission of the remaking of this United Nations. To change. You have to believe. We know we need to change how the United Nations works, how it takes decisions, and how it delivers on the ground. But we can only make that change, achieve that transformation if we believe that change is possible. Nobody ever successfully renovated the House without the faith that however hard the work, however many setbacks faced along the way, the end result would be a real improvement on what went before. So we need to show faith that however hard the work, however many setbacks faced along the way, the end result of transforming this house, this home of all the nations, will be a real step forward. And as this United Nations embarks on its ninth decade of service, the need for a step change in how the international community works together solves problems together is arguably needed more acutely now than ever before. That erosion of trust is leading to the corrosion of the international order, not the improvement of the international order, but the destruction of the international order. An international order that, for all its flaws and failures, has seen more children escape hunger, more families live in peace, and more children grow into old age than any era before it. To destroy the international settlement, without any idea of what comes next would be an act of wanton destruction that would rightly never be forgiven or forgotten by the tens of millions whose future it would betray. So let us be bold and let us say it loud and clear. Let us be utterly unequivocal. Now more than ever, is a moment for more cooperation, not less. More dialogue, not less. More trust, not less.

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I respectfully extend this call to every nation that calls Papua New Guinea a friend. Every nation which we have bilateral partnership and every nation that seeks friendship and engagement with us. Look within your borders. Ensure that religious minorities are not persecuted, suppressed, intimidated, or discriminated because they practice religion that is different from majority. Whether a country is predominantly Christian or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or follows other religion, religious tradition doesn't matter. The faith of the majority must never become an instrument for the persecution of minority. This message is not directed at one country or one religion or one region. It is a principle that must apply equally to all of us, because human rights cannot be selective. We cannot demand respect for our own rights while denying those same rights to others. We cannot ask the world to respect our beliefs while refusing to respect the freedom of conscience of another human being. Mr. president, there is a wider principle here also. This ultimately is also about human dignity. If we recognise the dignity of every human being, then we must consider the conditions in which people live and the earth which we will leave behind for our children.

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Let us do so together. Of course, problems are not confined to my region. There are problems all around the world. Paraguay is noting with deep concern what is happening in the Persian Gulf. When the Strait of Hormuz is closed, it is not the great powers or the wealthiest who pay the price. It is the least protected who pay the price, the most vulnerable among our citizens. The food and energy security of millions of people, depends on keeping that passage open. Therefore, today I make an urgent appeal for the immediate cessation of attacks, for the full reopening of and freedom of navigation through the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, and a return to negotiations. Human dignity, dear friends, does not change when we move from one continent to another. It is always the same. And it is that human dignity that must guide not only our words but also our actions. Hormuz is the problem we face today. But I wish to tell you here that tomorrow's problem could be far worse, infinitely worse. I'm referring to the ominous clouds gathering over the Indo-Pacific, particularly over the Taiwan Strait. What happens there is not merely a regional matter. No, ladies and gentlemen. It affects Japan, the whole of East and Southeast Asia, and above all, it affects the global economy. It affects the microchips that power industry, defense, and artificial intelligence. Anyone pretending that this is far off or too distant to matter simply has not understood the 21st century. If oil was the fuel of the 20th century, microchips are the fuel of the 21st. The stakes of this potential conflict could scarcely be higher. The very future of humanity is at stake. And I want to make one thing clear here: Paraguay is not neutral on this issue. Paraguay stands, and I say this loud and clear, with Taiwan. Not out of expediency, quite the opposite. We stand with Taiwan because of the profound values we share: democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and peace. Seventy years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations are not merely a number or the product of a mere calculation. They are a testament to the real friendship between our peoples.

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We are grateful to the European Union, and in particular to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and to the President of the European Council, António Costa, for every kind of assistance they have provided to our country. Although full-fledged membership to the European Union remains a strategic priority, we cannot ignore the prolonged enlargement fatigue, both amongst certain EU member states and among the candidate countries themselves. Serbia's European path is a clear illustration of the length and complexity of this process. We obtained candidate status in 2012 and opened accession negotiations in 2014, more than 12 years ago. The citizens of Serbia, therefore, rightly expect a clearer perspective and more tangible results from a process in which our country has participated for more than a decade. At a time when the next enlargement of the European Union does not appear likely in the near future, we have sought to remain constructive and to propose practical ways of overcoming the current impasse. We have, therefore, proposed that the Western Balkans be gradually integrated into the EU's single market and granted access to the Schengen area even before attaining full membership in the EU. This would neither serve as a substitute for membership nor diminish our ambitions. Rather, it would provide a concrete and pragmatic way forward, enable the citizens and economies of the region to experience the tangible benefits of European integration and help overcome the deadlock in which the enlargement process has remained for far too long. However, a stable and integrated Europe, of which Serbia is a part, and our European path, do not mean renouncing the traditional friendship thanks to which Belgrade is one of the few European capitals from which one can fly directly to the United States of America, the People's Republic of China, and the Russian Federation. I owe special gratitude for the support during COVID pandemics, as well as for a paramount investment in Serbia to the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, hoping that his talks with President Trump will be productive and that they will contribute to the stabilization of the developments in the world. At the same time, we nurture ties with traditional friends and partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with whom we recently marked in Belgrade the 65th anniversary of the first conference of non-aligned countries held in our capital in 1961.

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