"Intergovernmental cooperation and multilateral diplomacy are the best means of moving our societies forward"
About this Quote
The subtext is defensive as much as aspirational. Coming from a minister - especially one governing a small state with outsized dependence on neighbors - multilateralism isn’t just a preference; it’s a survival strategy. It signals reliability to bigger powers and institutions: we’re predictable, we play by the rules, we won’t become a problem. At home, it subtly rebukes nationalist shortcuts and the fantasy that sovereignty means self-sufficiency. “Moving our societies forward” is deliberately plural: it widens the audience beyond borders, turning domestic policy into a shared project and making cooperation feel like common sense rather than concession.
What makes the line work is its quiet moral leverage. It doesn’t argue with opponents directly; it places them outside the modern. If progress is cooperative by definition, then the unilateralist isn’t merely wrong - they’re backward.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
|---|---|
| Source | Speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), 8 April 2025 (PACE news write-up quoting Espot). |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Zamora, Xavier Espot. (2026, February 15). Intergovernmental cooperation and multilateral diplomacy are the best means of moving our societies forward. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/intergovernmental-cooperation-and-multilateral-185361/
Chicago Style
Zamora, Xavier Espot. "Intergovernmental cooperation and multilateral diplomacy are the best means of moving our societies forward." FixQuotes. February 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/intergovernmental-cooperation-and-multilateral-185361/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Intergovernmental cooperation and multilateral diplomacy are the best means of moving our societies forward." FixQuotes, 15 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/intergovernmental-cooperation-and-multilateral-185361/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.


