‘World is at a crossroads,’ President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia tells UN

“The centrifugal forces of globalization are bringing into question the order established after the Second World War. And along with that order, we redefine its values and principles,”  Ivanov said.

“If we are to describe the current situation in the world on Thursday with one word only, it would be instability,” he added.

Since the very beginning of this millennium, the world has been in an open fight against global terrorism,  Ivanov continued. For its part, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is part of the coalition that destroyed many terrorist cells and won a lot of battles in the past 15 years, but has not yet won the war against terror.

“In order to win the fight against terrorism, the sole use of military troops is not enough. It is necessary to fight using ideas; to oppose radicalization with counter-radicalization programmes,” he said.

On the other hand, he said, a new reality is looming on the European horizon. Under the pressure of the financial and debt crisis, the social and political seams holding the European Union (EU) together are slowly beginning to rip. By wiping away internal borders without securing its corridors in the process, the EU is now unable to protect its external borders, and on Thursday faces two key challenges – a migration crisis and the threat of terrorism,  Ivanov said.

Moreover, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, an independent country for 25 years, has been facing continuous and direct threats from territories of Member States of the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or countries under UN administration, he said.

“On our path towards international recognition and integration, we faced many blockades and suffered many damages. We even faced denial of the right to self-identification of Macedonian citizens, without which there is no integrity of human persona, or human dignity,”  Ivanov said. Due to that issue, his country is still blocked from joining international organizations such as NATO and the EU, he stressed.

Ivanov also discussed the election of a new UN Secretary-General, recalling that his country has nominated the former President of the General Assembly, Srgjan Kerim, for the position.

Expressing appreciation for the efforts in making the election process transparent,  Ivanov reiterated the hope that the new Secretary-General will be elected from the ranks of the Eastern European group of countries.

On the issue of the reform of the UN system,  Ivanov noted that while the Organization represents all countries, “with all their differences,” when making compromises, it is necessary to be careful not to compromise fundamental values, freedoms and vision, as written in both the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ivanov also said that the whole Balkan region is in stagnation, and there is a great need for cooperation and integration. Differences have to be overcome through dialogue and negotiations. Next year, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia plans to host the Brdo-Brijuni Process to enhance regional cooperation, he said.

UN Photo/Cia Pak

Source: www.justearthnews.com