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10. október 2022 Utanríkisráðuneytið

Ávarp á ráðstefnunni Imagine Forum: Reimagining Peace Processes

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are gathered here today to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time, the preservation of peace – a topic that has certainly come into much sharper focus since the last Imagine Forum only a year ago, and the change has been quite stark since I took office less than a year ago.

In this part of the world, my generation was fortunate enough to grow up during a time of peace. Although we learned of the horrors of the wars of the past, we came of age believing that large-scale war in our region had become virtually unthinkable. We saw peace among nations almost as a given.

But Russia’s unlawful and brutal invasion of Ukraine has shaken us all out of this complacency. It has become horribly evident that we can no longer take peace for granted.

Of course, it is the people of Ukraine who are paying the highest price. But Russia’s horrendous acts of aggression are not only a gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – they are a direct assault against the rules-based international system. An assault against the values that are fundamental to free and open societies – equality, liberty, tolerance, and diversity.

In the panel conversation that will follow shortly, we will discuss in more detail the serious implications of the war in Ukraine for peace and security in the region and beyond. But allow me now to stress one crucial point: Peace will not be preserved by giving in to aggression. Accommodating bullies and rule-breakers will only encourage more bullying and rule-breaking. Peace and security on the continent will only be ensured by democratic nations standing in solidarity against violence.

How Putin's agression will be dealt with will become an example of whether we are capable of truly learning from history, or if we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes of generations before us.

We must continue to stand steadfastly with the people of Ukraine and provide the support they need to be able to defend their lives and territory, for as long as it takes. We need to remain resolute in sanctioning Russa for its unlawful actions and hold it to account for the crimes committed in its name. And we must do our utmost to preserve and strengthen the multilateral system, which builds on respect for the rule of law and the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes.

I look forward to participating in the panel and hope we will enjoy fruitful discussions here today.

Ávarpið var flutt á ráðstefnunni Imagine Forum: Reimagining Peace Processess sem  Höfði friðarsetur, í samvinnu við utanríkisráðuneytið og Nordic Women Mediators Iceland, stóð fyrir í Veröld - húsi Vigdísar 10. október 2022. 

 

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