Europe

17 February 2017, Munich

Opening remarks at press encounter with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you very much for your presence.

It is for me an enormous honour and an enormous pleasure to have my first bilateral visit in the European Union in Germany.

10 February 2017, Istanbul

Opening remarks at press encounter with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey

Secretary-General António Guterres (left) at a press conference in Istanbul with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey. UN Photo/UNIC Ankara

Honourable Prime Minister,
 
Ladies and gentlemen of the press,
 
It is indeed for me an enormous pleasure and an enormous honour to be in Istanbul, starting my first bilateral visit since I was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations. And I believe it was my duty to start here in Turkey, as I have a huge depth of gratitude [to] the Turkish Government and the Turkish people.
 

19 January 2017, Davos

Remarks at the special session on "Cooperation for Peace: Tackling the Root Causes of Global Crises"

Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico.

Thank you very much, Professor Schwab. It is good to be back in Davos – even if I would start by saying that we live in a dangerous world. 
We see a proliferation of new conflicts; old conflicts seem never to die. Conflicts are becoming more and more interlinked, more linked with the new threat of global terrorism.

09 December 2016, Vienna

Remarks at Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Awards

It is a great honour for me to participate in this very important event on International Anti-corruption Day.

I congratulate today's recipients of the Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Award. 

Through their courage, they are delivering a clear message that corruption is incompatible with fair and ethical societies.  

07 December 2016, Vienna

Remarks at the Austrian Foreign Ministry with Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz and President-elect Alexander Van der Bellen

Ladies and gentlemen good morning, Guten Morgen. Mr. Minister, and Mr. President-elect, it is a great honour for me to visit Austria again, my second home. This may be my last visit to Austria as Secretary-General but in fact, this is going to be my last ever visit to any country, to any Member State.

08 December 2016, Vienna

Remarks at Habibi and Hawara Restaurant

City Councillor Omar Al-Rawi, Ambassador Dorothea Auer, Ms. Katha Schinkinger and Mr. Christian Kemmler, Distinguished staff of Habibi&Hawara restaurant, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Es freut mich sehr, hier im Habibi & Hawara Restaurant zu sein.  [I am very pleased to be here in the Habibi & Hawara restaurant.]
 

07 December 2016, Vienna

Remarks to inaugurate SDG Branding at Vienna International Centre

Es freut mich sehr, hier in Wien und in der UNO-City zu sein.  [I am very pleased to be here in Vienna and in the UN City.] Thank you for your warm welcome.

This is my last visit to Austria as Secretary-General, and my very last visit to a Member State, so this is my final official travel to any country as Secretary-General.

One of the highlights of my tenure is the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

07 November 2016, Mont Pèlerin

Remarks at press conference on Cyprus

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) meets with Mustafa Akinci, Leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community (left), and Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus (right). UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

Good morning. I am pleased to be in Mont Pèlerin. I thank the Government of Switzerland for their generosity in hosting us.

I am here to open this week of intensive negotiations between the Greek Cypriot leader, His Excellency Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, His Excellency Mr. Mustafa Akıncı.

The talks will be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations  Special Adviser, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, and will concentrate on the chapter of territory as well as all other outstanding issues interdependently.

08 October 2016, Reykjavik

Opening remarks at joint press conference with Mrs. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland

Thank you Madame Foreign Minister, Góðan daginn. 

It is a great pleasure to visit Iceland for the [second] time. I am happy to see former President Grimsson who is now taking another very important leadership role as a former President and also President of this Arctic [Circle].

Since I have said enough about climate change [in my speech], I will stop here but as she [the Foreign Minister] said – I don’t want to repeat the subjects we have been discussing – but we are in full agreement. My only ambitious demand is that Iceland should do much more.

08 October 2016, Reykjavik

Remarks at seminar on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit

I am pleased to join you to mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark Reagan-Gorbachev Summit.

That meeting here in Reykjavik was in many ways a turning point in global strategic relations.

U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev came to Reykjavik with different visions for stability.

Yet over the course of two days, they came close to an audacious plan for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.

General Secretary Gorbachev called it a “breakthrough, which allowed us for the first time to look over the horizon.”