Good morning. I am here in my capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria.

I would like to say

greetings to Your Excellency the President, Mr. Vice President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished
Delegates. Being the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, I am able to address you in Arabic. Why do I
do that? This is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. I studied Arabic in the UN in
Vienna. It is a beautiful language, it is part of the Arab civilization, the ancient civilization. I also studied
in Lebanon during the years of war. I learned how people continue with their lives despite all odds and
difficulties. This is the secret of life. There are men and women from Baghdad to Damascus, they
continue with their lives. All respect to those people. All of us are the offspring of Adam. The “offspring
of Adam” means, in another word, humanity. In this hall, we have a voice and we have to use this voice
to express the voice of those outside this hall, those who are living in conflicts and wars, especially in the
Middle East. Allow me to quote the German writer Bertolt Brecht. He said, and I quote “There are some
in darkness. There are others in light. We see only those in the light. We do not see in the darkness.”

I would shift now to French, and I would like to thank the interpreters for their patience and indulgence.