Address
by the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Mr. Vojislav
Kostunica
Mr. President
Trajkovski, Heads of the States and Governments, Excellences, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
First of
all, let me express my pleasure of being here at this summit and give
the credit to the Government and the people of Macedonia on the perfectly
organized conference. Great deal owing to this kindness and hospitality
of the hosts, I am certain that our exchange of the views will be truly
fruitful and will contribute our countries and peoples to get closer.
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
It is exactly twenty days since in Yugoslavia an essential change has
happened, since our people, defending its electoral will, have won an
internal freedom and bravely and with faith stepped onto the road of
normalization and democratization of the situation in the country. It
is exactly twenty days since Yugoslavia has begun to return to the world
and since the world has begun to return to Yugoslavia. Measured with
human measures those twenty days are a short period. Measured with historical
measures, those twenty days in their significance represent an enormous
period, the dawn of a new epoch.
The inheritance,
not only of these last 13 years, but the past several decades, has been
so heavy that it has threatened to suffocate us. Authoritarian regime
has been systematically destroying our economy and social tissue. The
world has helped it in a great deal, whether it is has been on the purpose
or not. Isolation caused by sanctions impoverished the state and the
people even more, creating a very small number of the rich, seriously
criminalizing the society and condemning the great number of the inhabitants
to the very edge of the existence. NATO bombing has sped up that process
of devastation.
Fortunately,
the worst is behind us now. Authoritarian regime has collapsed, faced
with the people with whom it has practically lost every contact, led
only by the wish to keep the power at any cost. The regime that does
not respect and does not know its own people is not able to survive
for a long time. People on the power simply did not recognize the David's
power of its people. That was why they had to lose, not only the elections,
but also the artificial world they had tried to build and impose to
the others by force.
However,
it is a great number of the problems that we are faced with and it is
a huge responsibility of the new authorities, elected truly in a democratic
way, instead of the extremely undemocratic electoral conditions. I am
convinced that our people is more then up to this historical challenge.
The new authorities will only have to follow and listen to the people's
will.
We are facing
a hard work of fundamental reorganization of the state, the constitutional
reconstruction, redefining of the relations between Serbia and Montenegro,
full stabilization of the situation in Kosovo in accordance with the
Resolution 1244 of the Security Council, regulating the membership in
the United Nations and other international and regional political and
financial institutions, building the democratic society based on the
full respect of the human and national rights and establishing the socially
orientated market economy. In order to do that we must equip ourselves
with patience and tolerance, but also with determination and courage.
Some of these tasks we shall solve faster, some slower, for some of
them we shall need the international community help, some we shall have
to do by ourselves, but none of them we will accomplish hastily and
overnight. We do not need radical and revolutionary cuts, they could
be devastating to the still fragile branches of democracy.
It is encouraging
that Europe has welcomed us with its support and not only has slightly
opened its door, but widely opened the door that led to the integrative
processes. It is encouraging that understanding for our demand for the
immediate aid, which we definitely need, does not come only to the humanitarian
aid. We need to revive the economy and to stand on our own feet as soon
as possible, remaining ready for all kinds of economic cooperation,
bilateral as well as multilateral. It is the only way to regain our
position in the international community.
On our way
back to Europe and the world the first and the key stop is the South
Eastern Europe, i.e. the Balkans. That is why we are here now. And I
must say it with a great pleasure. When I say the Balkans, I mean the
region that covers all the countries, whose representatives are gathered
today in Skopje. The Region rich in history, spirit and culture, the
region, which is the cradle of democracy, but also the region where
the wars have been led much too often and oppressive systems imposed.
The Region that has always been, to use the words of the greatest Seriban
enlighter, the East to the West and the West to the East. That is the
reason why so many battles of influences have been fought here and why
our peoples have been involved in the armed whirlpools.
The Balkans
needs peace and stability. Europe needs peaceful and stable Balkans.
There is only one way to peace and stability among us: the one that
leads through the political dialog and economical and other cooperation.
Europe and the world can help us in that, but they cannot negotiate
instead of us. Through reasonable, good-natured dialogue, without accusation
and self-accusations in advance, patently disposing of the old prejudices,
we shall solve the problems which burden our relations. We have to live
in peace one next to another and cooperate in a measure that suits best
every one of us. And I am convinced that it will be like that.
Thank you.
