PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF CROATIA

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF CROATIA

The United Nations had mainly been late in taking action to prevent conflict, especially conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and needed a new mechanism so that action could be both blunt and cost-effective, the President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, told correspondents on Friday afternoon, in response to a question. Speaking through an interpreter, he said the world had changed much since the creation of the United Nations, and the Security Council was no longer geared towards meeting the requirements of the twenty-first century.

Responding to a question on the current situation in Montenegro, Mr. Mesic said he did not think Slobodan Milosevic, the leader of Serbia, would proceed with military action in Montenegro because of the clear message Europe had sent. The Serbian leader had caused three conflicts, including genocide, in the former Yugoslavia with the purpose of creating a greater Serbia. However, he had been left with internal crisis in Serbia, which he was unable to control and therefore his exit from the scene was inevitable.

Globalization had brought about unpleasant effects as well as positive ones, he said. The United Nations, especially the General Assembly, must play a greater role in dealing with globalization’s negative effects. Europe was a good example of how to prevent conflict through regional cooperation, he said.

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