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T. Yayi: Address to Peace Summit 2023, Session V
Written by H.E. Dr. Thomas Boni Yayi, president, Benin (2006-2016)
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Address to Peace Summit 2023
May 2-5, 2023
Dear friends, thank you to Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. I was head of state, president of Benin in West Africa for 10 years from 2006 to 2016.
I would like to follow what Mike Pompeo said. Let us come closer to God. God created us and we have to resemble Him. We have to embody God. Let us go together and march with Him. We also have to know that our body is a temple of God. The one who shoots at man is shooting at God.
We have to reflect and pursue lasting peace for mankind. I would like to remind you that for 70 years there have been rivalries between the United States and the Soviet Union. We had the Cold War and now there is a fight again. Where are we now? We are in an airplane without a pilot, without leadership. We are very much worried about that and need an action plan at the end of this summit. We must hasten to bring peace. Without peace, there is no development and no nation can say it is superior to others. If we belong to the same village, let us build peace. If we kill one another, who will produce, who will consume?
We have a democracy in Benin, and many people visited me in Cotonou. I toured Japan, North Korea and South Korea to bring the message of peace. My brother, Kim Jong-un from North Korea, sent a high-level delegation to me. He wanted to have military cooperation. I asked him, why? You need peace with your neighbor, I told him. That is important for me. It is a necessary condition for partnership between Benin and North Korea.
But then my mind pays tribute to those who work with the spirit. Let us work together, dialogue and try to find a consensus. What is going on now with the war in Ukraine could become a third world war. This crisis is not a good thing at all. We must come up with a solution to that and make a decision. What is the global plan? I hope this summit can issue some declaration. I do not think that sending weapons will help. We need a global peace plan.
There is also a time bomb in the Asia Pacific. Hearing just now the comments about China and United States, Taiwan and everything else, and the tensions between the two countries, it is a dark picture there.
Thank you.
To go to the Peace Summit 2023 Schedule page, click here.