LJUBLJANA: MESIC SPEAKS ABOUT REGIONAL STABILITY

LJUBLJANA, May 10 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in Ljubljana on Friday that united Europe represented the future of large and small peoples and that this was why he was an optimist. #L# Mesic spoke at a panel discussion of the International Press Institute World Congress. He was joined by Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic and Bosnian Presidency member Zivko Radisic. The majority of questions in the discussion, conducted by former Czech foreign minister Jiri Dienstbier, focused on stability in Bosnia and Kosovo. The participants also analysed the causes of the conflicts during the break-up of the ex-Yugoslavia and inter- ethnic relations. Mesic advocated cooperation in the region but dismissed the assessment that all sides were equally guilty and the theory of national differences as the cause of the conflicts. "All wars in the world were waged because of territory. Milosevic was able to impose a war because he assessed that Russia would be outside the conflict and that France and England would tolerate what he was doing. Sarajevo was under siege and fire for three years, receiving only humanitarian aid. But the world has changed and this cannot be tolerated any longer. Now we have to revive the region's economy," said Mesic, adding that he was optimistic. "If Europe invests in a motorway linking Italy with Slovenia, and then with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Greece, Europe and the whole region will benefit," said Mesic, adding that he discussed this with Montenegro's Djukanovic earlier today. Mesic said he believed in a united Europe as the final solution in which there were no more wars waged to ostensibly protect the rights of minorities, as was the case in the past. In united Europe it will not matter if part of a people lives outside national borders as all minorities will be bridges of cooperation, he said, adding that this could be the case in Southeast Europe too. (hina) ha sb