Zelensky calls on SEE countries to participate in inaugural Global Peace Summit
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on leaders of Southeastern Europe’s nations to take part in the inaugural Global Peace Summit, set to be held in Switzerland aimed to implement the comprehensive Peace Formula put forward by Ukraine.
Zelensky made the call during an opening address at the Ukraine – SEE Summit in Tirana, Albania, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“I am grateful to all the leaders and nations who have already supported our Peace Formula and joined the global efforts to implement it. The obvious advantage of the Peace Formula is that it is comprehensive,” said Zelensky.
He added that every leader and every state can prove themselves in the peace process – not only the so-called "great powers", not only those who are traditionally proactive in diplomacy in Europe or elsewhere.
“We want international law and global stability to be based on truly multilateral and transparent processes – on the equality of nations. Just as everyone deserves peace, everyone can contribute to the restoration of peace. I invite you all to take part in the first Global Peace Summit – at the level of leaders, to be held in Switzerland,” the head of state said.
Zelensky added that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to determine the fate of other nations, therefore all free nations should unite to ensure that the Putin regime loses.
“Everyone understands that now is the time when the path of Europe is being determined for at least several next generations. We all want Europe to be a space where every nation determines its own destiny,” the Ukrainian president said.
In this context, he recalled previous attempts Europe witnessed where someone else tried to determine nations’ fate as it happened in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and other parts of Europe.
“Now Putin wants to do exactly the same. All his hostility, everything he does, and everything he wants to force other nations to do, is an attempt to make the old dictates of how nations should exist and what they should agree or disagree with – to make it ‘the new normal,’” stressed Zelensky.
According to the president, Ukraine’s vision of Europe and life in all its regions is based on the principle of dignity – equal dignity of each country so there must be no Europe of “different dignities” – where someone deserves security and peace while someone’s struggle for peace is ignored, where someone deserves integration into unions and alliances, and someone is supposed “to stay behind and wait”.
“We believe that respect for every nation, the equal right of nations to security and independent choice of their destiny should be universal principles. And through our cooperation we can ensure this,” concluded Zelensky.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Zelensky hopes the inaugural Global Peace Summit will be held as early as this spring, while the next one will be held on another continent.
Photo: Ukrainian President’s Office