ZAGREB ZAGREB, Sept 25 (Hina) - An international expert and scientific symposium dedicated to the problem of terrorism and the question of security in Southeast Europe and the world began on Wednesday in Zagreb in the presence of
numerous local and international experts.
ZAGREB, Sept 25 (Hina) - An international expert and scientific
symposium dedicated to the problem of terrorism and the question of
security in Southeast Europe and the world began on Wednesday in
Zagreb in the presence of numerous local and international experts.
#L#
The two-day symposium entitled "Terrorism and Security in the 21st
Century - Southeast Europe and the World", which has gathered about
170 participants from Croatia and twenty-one other countries is
being held under the auspices of Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.
Welcoming the participants, President Mesic pointed out that the
symposium was yet another confirmation of the resolute
determination by Croatia in the fight against terrorism as well as a
form of recognition of Croatia's clear position in the order of the
world coalition.
Stressing that the fight against terrorism is in fact the fight of
civilisation against anti-civilisation and by no means can this be
termed as a conflict of civilisations or war of religions, Mesic
repeated that the aim of the fight was by no means revenge but
punishment and prevention of new acts of terrorism, or rather, an
effort to eliminate conditions under which terrorist activities
can continue.
Mesic in particular pointed out the need for a detailed analysis of
the conditions in which terrorism arises, while the struggle
against hunger and poverty in the world as well as a permanent
solution to regional crises would certainly decrease the number and
motivation for potential terrorists.
Croatian head of state cautioned that not one political objective
or state or national interest could justify terrorism, pointing out
the unavoidable role of the United Nations in the fight against
terrorism and the need that not one action by the anti-terrorist
coalition be in opposition to the UN Charter.
According to Croatia's Interior Minister Sime Lucin, whose
ministry is one of the ministries that organised the symposium,
Croatia is included in activities by the international community in
the fight against terrorism, particularly since September 11.
Considering its geographical and traffic location, Croatia is the
target of illegal immigrants and smugglers and so efforts in the
past two years were especially directed to control the borders,
Lucin said. The result of these efforts is a fall in illegal
immigration by 70 per cent in the first six months of this year in
comparison to the same period last year.
The Croatian Government signed bilateral agreements with 23
countries included in the fight against terrorism while on the
multilateral plan, it has accepted the majority of international
conventions that relate to the problem of terrorism, Lucin said.
Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula pointed out that Croatia
is actively involved in efforts by the international community to
stabilise the situation in Southeast Europe. Along with
strengthening good neighbourly relations, according to Picula,
Croatia is in particular developing regional co-operation in
countering organised crime, drug trafficking as well as arms and
humans trafficking.
In addition, after September 11, Croatia readily included itself in
the international anti-terrorist coalition while the Government
expressed its readiness to completely consider any request for
logistic support, the use of its sea and air ports in the fight
against terrorism. Croatia has ratified 12 key international
conventions to thwart terrorism and is actively engaged in working
on topics related to international terrorism that were recently
presented on the agenda of the Council of Europe or OSCE, Picula
said.
Picula emphasised the importance of activities that are being
undertaken within the SECI, Stability Pact and within the framework
of the trilateral co-operation established between Croatia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia.
The organisers of the international symposium on terrorism are the
Centre for Defence Research-DEFIMI and the Croatian Interior
Ministry along with co-organisers such as the Faculty of Political
Sciences in Zagreb, the Croatian Defence Society, Croatian Mine
Clearance Centre, the Zagreb office of the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation, the Institute for International Affairs from
Washington, the Croatian Defence Ministry and the Croatian Foreign
Affairs Ministry.
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