UN General Assembly
2008

I wish to begin by congratulating Mr. d’Escoto Brockmann on assuming the post of President of the General Assembly at its current session. Today I shall start by addressing the security situation in the world. During the past year, the international community has deepened its understanding of frozen conflicts. Frozen does not mean resolved; it means that those conflicts are able to re-emerge. Therefore, I am particularly glad that significant progress has been achieved towards resolving long-lasting conflicts in some regions. First, I would like to mention Kosovo. Strong involvement by the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and the United States helped to resolve a protracted conflict in the Balkans. Now we need to focus our efforts on the development of Kosovo’s statehood: political stability, economic prosperity, security and good relations with its neighbours. I welcome the decision of the Secretary-General to reconfigure the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. It is necessary to continue the constructive cooperation between the United Nations and the EU so that the Kosovo Mission