Buenas tardes. Es para mí un placer estar de vuelta en España. Esta es mi undécima visita al país. A usted, Señor [José Manuel] García Margallo, Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores, y al Gobierno y el pueblo de España, muchas gracias por su hospitalidad.

This is a particularly fitting time for me to be here in Spain and I would like to express my deepest gratitude for Spain’s support and global solidarity.
I am here to celebrate with you the 60th anniversary of Spain’s membership in the United Nations and also 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
For six decades, Spain has worked to advance the values of the United Nations Charter – from laying the foundation for peace in Central America, to mediation in the Mediterranean region, to peacekeeping in Lebanon and elsewhere, to generous help to fight global poverty, to building bridges of understanding across cultures and faiths through the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, and much more.

This month, Spain is also serving as President of the Security Council. I commend Spain’s leadership role to advance efforts against terrorism and violent extremism, and highlight the central contributions of women in building peace and security around the world.

In that regard, I would like to pay my highest tribute and commend the leadership of President of Government, Prime Minister [Mariano] Rajoy, for his leadership in presiding over the Security Council meeting on reviewing then legendary Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. It had resulted in another legendary and historic resolution 2242 – just mentioned by the Foreign Minister.

Earlier today and yesterday, I had very productive meetings with His Majesty, King Felipe, and Prime Minister Rajoy, and Foreign Minister García Margallo.

I know that the plight of refugees fleeing Syria and other conflict zones has resonated strongly in Spain.

I commend His Majesty, the King, for his recent appeal at the European Parliament for solidarity with the most vulnerable group of people.

I welcome the efforts of the European Union to work with countries of origin and transit, including through the upcoming Valetta Summit meeting on Migration.

We also discussed efforts to address the conflict in Syria, the situation in Libya and Yemen, and I would like to take this opportunity to commend tireless engagement of my Special Envoy, Señor Bernardino Leon, as well as a number of other peace and security issues.

Finally, let me say this is a pivotal time for global development.

Last month in New York, the international community, the world leaders, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This is a landmark people-centred, planet-friendly blueprint to end global poverty and ensure a life of dignity for all.

We must now make this promise real for people and our planet.

The Climate Change summit meeting in Paris, which will be held from November 30th through the middle-part of December, will be the first test of our political will to implement the Agenda. I trust leaders will leave Paris with an ambitious, meaningful universal climate change agreement. I want to thank the Government of Spain for its commitment to this goal.

Let me conclude by thanking you once again, Mr. Minister, for your warm welcome and strong support.  It is wonderful to be back in Madrid and looking forward to another such great visit.

Thank you very much. ¡Muchas Gracias!

Q: On migrant and refugee crisis in Europe:

Secretary-General: We have been discussing this matter for already a couple of months. And I have been reaching out in person most of the leaders of the European Union. I have been urging them that they should demonstrate global solidarity and compassionate leadership for those people who are fleeing their homeland because of fear – because of fear for their lives and dignity.

First and foremost, the priority of the United Nations is to protect the human lives of these people – they are helpless; they are defenseless and voiceless people. It is important to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance immediately.

Just erecting walls and barbwire along the borders will not be an answer to this question. In that regard, as I said in my earlier remarks, I highly appreciate the European leaders who have been working tirelessly to find some collective measures and package. This is a global issue, even though it may happen in the European continent, it has emerged as a global issue.

There must be global solidarity. Even though it maybe huge challenges when it is domestic to each and every country but it is not the numbers. It is not a crisis of numbers, it maybe a crisis of political and global solidarity. When the leaders of the European Union are united and show their compassionate leadership, I think this can be resolved.

In that regard, I expect that the Valetta summit meeting on migrant in November will also find a good solution an as you may remember on September 30th, I convened a summit meeting on the margins of the General Assembly and many European leaders, African and Asian leaders participated. There is a strong call for humanitarian support.

This morning, I had the opportunity of visiting a reception centre where many refugees are hosted. I was very much grateful – they all expressed a deep thanks to the people and Government of Spain, and this is what we need for humanity. And I really count on the leaders of Europe as well as Spain to show a strong and warm-hearted support.

Muchas Gracias.

Q: Question Iran participating in the Syria talks:

I am encouraged that high-level leaders are meeting in Vienna tomorrow to discuss the situation in Syria. There have been many attempts and diplomatic efforts to resolve this crisis, which has been continuing for almost five years, through political dialogue, in a peaceful manner. Unfortunately the situation has been deteriorating day by day, resulting in more than 4 million refugees and another 13 million people displaced, and who need urgent humanitarian assistance.

As you may recall, on September 28th, in my report addressed to the General Assembly, I emphasized the importance of resolving this issue through political means and I raised the idea of very critically important five countries – namely, United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. Those five countries – they should meet together as soon as possible. I am glad that they are now meeting. I sincerely hope that they will really address this issue, with a sense of flexibility, whatever differences they may have in their political views; in their approaches – they should be united.

When the P5 – permanent members of the Security Council – P5, we call them and plus one – Germany and the European Union – were able to strike a deal with Iranian on Iranian nuclear issue – that was great news. Immediately after that, I contacted all the leaders of those countries - please show such purpose of unity, and solidarity and flexibility as you have shown on the issue of Syria. Then, there is nothing that may not be resolved.

This is now going to happen and I sincerely hope that this will really bring some good results. There is no such military solution as I have been saying all the time. My Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, with the strong backing of the Security Council, has established the four working groups in our sincere efforts to provide some political space in this very dire security and humanitarian situation so let us hope and support this dialogue. And I am urging all these five countries to show their global leadership rather than their own national perspective. The longer they take their own national perspectives, much more people will suffer and the whole world will suffer. You see that so many refugees are fleeing Syria - it is affecting very seriously European countries.

The political instability in northern Africa, is again affecting the European continent so everything is now interconnected. If we resolve this Syrian issue peacefully, then we will then see speedier and smoother resolution of this refugee issue too.

Thank you.