NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Hina) - In his first speech before the United Nations, at the 55th annual session of the General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula spoke about Croatia's stands regarding
reforms in the world organisation, the principal goals of the Croatian government's foreign policy and the situation in South-East Europe.
NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Hina) - In his first speech before the United
Nations, at the 55th annual session of the General Assembly in New
York on Wednesday, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula spoke
about Croatia's stands regarding reforms in the world
organisation, the principal goals of the Croatian government's
foreign policy and the situation in South-East Europe. #L#
Picula urged U.N. member-states to join in the efforts of
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to adjust the U.N. to the new needs and
challenges of the modern world.
Picula conveyed Croatia's stand that the Security Council, as the
most important U.N. body, should expand to include permanent and
non-permanent members. The operation of the Security Council
should be defined more clearly as well, and the right to veto should
be abandoned or used only in some cases (application of Chapter
VII).
An important change should be made regarding U.N. peace operations
and their financing, Picula believes.
The U.N. has to have enough funds to be able to respond to crises
quickly and adequately, he said.
Regional groups should play a more important role in the U.N. and
progress can also be made by developing cooperation between the
U.N. and non-governmental organisations, he said.
Croatia is a signatory to documents on the International Criminal
Court (ICC), which is considered an important instrument of
operation of the international community, Picula said, advocating
the urgent adoption of the Court's Rules of Procedure and other
relevant documents so that this unique legal institution could
start operating as soon as possible.
Since his speech was the first presentation of the foreign policy of
the new Croatian authority in the U.N., Picula also addressed the
basic guidelines of Croatia's foreign policy, as well as the return
of refugees and cooperation with the war crimes tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
Croatia is aware that the refugee return is a necessary
precondition for permanent stability in the region, he said, adding
the pace of return depended not only on political willingness and
legal conditions but also on the economic potential of areas of
return.
Cooperation with the ICTY remains for Croatia primarily a legal and
not a political issue, the minister said, adding Croatia strongly
supported the principle of individualisation of guilt.
(hina) jn rml