Reply of the Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran
to the statement by Albania
Before the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
On “General Debate”
New York, 26 September 2022
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Mr. President,
I have requested the floor to exercise the right of reply in response to the unfounded allegations and fabrications leveled against the Islamic Republic of Iran during the General Debate on Saturday, September 24, by the representative of the Republic of Albania.
The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects such fictitious accusations, which are unfounded and based solely on false and erroneous assumptions.
As asserted in our letter dated 10 September 2022, addressed to the Security Council and the Secretary-General, published as UN document S/2022/685, Iran has categorically rejected any kind of attribution for the alleged cyber-attack on Albania's infrastructure.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has long been the primary target and the main victim of infrastructure cyberattacks, which in certain cases, have disrupted the delivery of public services and governmental functions.
The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes once again, its persistent position that cyberspace and the ICT environment must be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that States must act cooperatively and in full compliance with applicable international law.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the illegal actions carried out on September 8, 2022, by Albanian police forces against Iran's diplomatic premises in Tirana, where they used force to enter Iran's diplomatic missions without Iran's consent. Such unlawful acts, committed in the following unilateral termination of bilateral diplomatic relations by the Albanian Government on September 7, 2022, are a flagrant violation of international law, specifically the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises.
We recall the international obligations of the Republic of Albania under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, which required all States to take all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises from any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity and any attack on diplomatic premises, agents and consular officers.
I thank you Mr. President.