Mesic visited the Oxford Union at the invitation of this prestigious debating club to speak about the topic of contemporary world from the viewpoint of Southeast Europe and Croatia.
After the recent war, Croatia wants to help Southeast Europe become a region of peace and security, advocate the individualisation of responsibility for committed war crimes, and build good neighbourly relations, Mesic said.
As for the economy, Croatia has opted for the market economy, he said, repeating his theory that Croatia had rashly taken over a model of neo-liberal capitalism neglecting the social element.
Speaking about international issues, Mesic said Croatia supported the UN and opposed any unilateral military action, except those launched under the aegis of the UN, which he said was why Croatia was not taking part in the military operation in Iraq.
Speaking about the problem of global terrorism, Mesic said that this was a challenge to all countries and that Croatia was taking part in the fight against it.
Members of the Oxford Union Society were very much interested in the lecture and demonstrated an exceptional knowledge of the problems burdening Croatia and Southeast Europe today.
Some of their queries referred to a court sentence imposed on writer Predrag Matvejevic and the issue of freedom of speech in Croatia, the issue of Kosovo's independence, the possibility of the Balkans becoming destabilised again, the return of refugees to Croatia, etc.
The court sentence in the Matvejevic case shows that our laws are not perfect, Mesic said, adding that Matvejevic enjoyed his personal support. Courts should not be dealing with debates among writers and this case shows what is to be done in changing the legislation, Mesic said.
Explaining the historical and political aspects of the Kosovo crisis, Mesic said Kosovo's independence would not destabilise the region, but Croatia would accept any solution arrived at by political means and without coercion.
The Oxford Union is one of the most prestigious debating societies in the world, with a tradition of more than 180 years. Known for visits by many figures of international renown, it was established to promote debating and discussions not only within Oxford University, but throughout the world. The society does not advocate any specific political views, but is rather a forum where absolute freedom of speech is demonstrated and controversial issues raised.