Martti Ahtisaari Quotes

If the political will is there, we can solve anything.

I'm concerned when certain movements or countries have been isolated from the international dialogue because then you have no way of influencing them.

No country's policies are eternal; they do vary. People are growing old, and a new generation is coming to power. In a year's time, a government can look different. You can't influence them if you don't talk to them.

There is a lot of hard work that needs to be done

You need to carry out very careful pre-feasibility and feasibility studies before you enter any crisis situation.

Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal.

Perhaps it's a curse, but when you are a Lutheran, you have a sense of responsibility.

The ability of the countries within the region to cooperate and establish good-neighborly relations ... will be an important criterion for evaluating their prospects of full integration with the European Union,

Religions themselves are ... peace-loving. They can also be a constructive force in peace-building, and this also applies to the Middle East.

There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore, those who have power and influence can also stop them ... we should not accept any excuses from those in power.

I have no superhuman powers. If people don't want to make peace, there is nothing I can do.

The only people that can make peace are the parties to the conflict, and just as they are responsible for the conflict and its consequences, so should they be given responsibility and recognition for the peace.

If one has problems with immigrant communities in Europe, that should not be used against Turkey.

The mere fact that I'm former head of state and former under-secretary in the U.N. system, it means that I can get in touch with anybody in the world, in theory.

The progress has to start now.

You have to be rather straightforward with your clients. You can't tell the parties only nice things. This is not an entertainment show; it's not reality television either.

Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings.

It's very important to be able to act properly. You need financing, and you never have enough.

It is clear a Palestinian state is needed.

I'm one of those people who, as long as I am still healthy and my thoughts are more or less clear, I don't think I can retire entirely.

All conflicts can be resolved. Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings. There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore those who have power and influence can also stop them. Peace is a question of will.

With my mother, I moved from one household to another before settling in the eastern part of Finland, in the city of Kuopio.

I know what it's like when you are a refugee, living on the mercy of others and having to adjust.

There are certain standards, like the protection of minorities and the improvement in their lives that have to be improved now.

I think it's a disgrace for the international community that we have allowed so many conflicts to become frozen, and we are not making a serious effort to solve them.

In the last year of my presidency, I travelled 200 days out of 365. You have to lead a very disciplined life. To be able to do that, I need a lot of sleep. But I have no problems sleeping. On long days, I can easily take a nap for 20 minutes in the afternoon.

Mediators do not choose the conflicts they became involved in, but the parties to the conflict choose the mediator. Their participation as intermediaries is based on the trust of all the conflicting parties.