Mesic was presented with the Medal for his outstanding contribution to Croatia's EU integration process and his role in the achievement of economic, social and democratic standards on this road as well as for his leadership of the country through challenges of the political, economic and social transition processes.
The Pio Manzu Centre, one of the organisers of the Rimini conference, also praised the Croatian head of state for his crucial contribution to peace and construction of a strongly linked European community of peoples, cultures and regions, and for the role he and the governments during his term had in the promotion of reconciliation, tolerance, and coexistence among the peoples of Southeast Europe.
The Rimini event, organised by the UN and the EU, apart from the said centre, focuses on the topic of economies and national states in search for a new sovereignty. It has pooled scientists, humanists, politicians and business people engaged in dealing with issues of globalisation of the modern world and their impact on the man and environment.
Addressing the gathered, Mesic said the globalisation process, with both its positive and negative effects, was unstoppable. Therefore, positive sides should be used and negative ones reduced to the minimum possible level.
"In the present-day world, the wealth is being globalised, but also poverty," Mesic warned advocating that debt of the least developed countries should be written off as the first step in the process of the globalisation of development.
A better world can be built only on the balance of interests, he added.
He also spoke about the importance of dialogue of civilisations and that the war against terrorism should not be waged to the detriment of democracy.
Croatia would like to set an example and offer help to countries in the region, and being a UN member it will continue participating in efforts aimed at the creation of conditions for a life worthy of man for all members of the human race, Mesic concluded.
Croatian President gave an interview to Italy's RAI television which on Sunday morning aired a two-hour broadcast from Rimini on the occasion of the conference.
Participants in the conference pointed out problems which occurred together with the process of integration of the contemporary world: terrorism, regional conflicts, ethnic and religious tensions, unbalanced growth, dominance of centres of power generating conflict of interest, the creation of 'fluid' economy which is becoming more and more ex-territorialised and entwined, as well as to a lack of rules in global management.
The international Pio Manzu Centre, established in 1969 with the assistance of the UN and UNIDO, is an advisory body of the UN consisting of prominent scientists and researchers active in Bologna, London, Dramstadt, Frankfurt, Boston and Moscow. Every October for 30 years, it has organised international conferences on global topics and the future of the humankind.