CVIJANOVIĆ: BRIDGING DIVISIONS IN THE WORLD IN TRANSITION

BAKU, MARCH 12 /SRNA/ - The Serb member of the Presidency of BiH Željka Cvijanović emphasized that every crisis also brings new opportunities, provided there is sufficient wisdom, that forces are joined, and that better solutions are sought, both for individual countries and at the regional and even global level.

"In that spirit, I see this turbulent transitional period as an opportunity to put things in order at the global level," Cvijanović said in an address at the Global Forum in Baku. SRNA publishes the full address of the Serb member of the Presidency of BiH at this gathering: It is always a particular pleasure to be in Baku and to participate in the Global Baku Forum, which has already become a traditional and indispensable event. I sincerely thank the organizers for their warm hospitality and for the excellent organization of this event, despite the tensions and challenges we face at both the regional and global levels. Even in these turbulent times, this forum remains an important platform for dialogue and cooperation. I would like to express solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan, as well as full support for the efforts of President /Ilham/ Aliyev and all the institutions of Azerbaijan in their endeavor to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for their citizens and the region as a whole, by strengthening regional stability through dialogue and cooperation. The world is changing rapidly and fundamentally, and we are witnessing big and far-reaching changes - political, economic, technological, and social. In such circumstances, close ties, partnership, and cooperation are needed more than ever. Those of us who come from former socialist societies know well that every transition brings difficulties, uncertainty, and serious challenges. At the same time, we also know that every crisis brings new opportunities, provided that we are wise enough to join forces and seek better solutions, both for our countries individually and at the regional and even global level. In that spirit, I see this turbulent transitional period as an opportunity to put things in order globally. Over the past three decades, we have witnessed the injustice and hypocrisy of globalist elites, particularly in the West, who too often abuse the very values they claim to represent. For example, their approach to BiH, which is often considered the last European colony, illustrates this contradiction in a very instructive way. While lecturing us about the rule of law and respect for democratic institutions, they simultaneously supported processes in which unelected foreign bureaucrats imposed laws while bypassing democratic parliamentary procedures, thereby undermining the country's constitutional, legal, and political order. All of this was done under the pretext of allegedly protecting the Dayton Peace Agreement, even though that agreement does not grant any foreign official the authority to impose laws, suspend the constitution, remove democratically elected leaders, or punish political parties. There are indeed many such examples, and it would take far more time than I have to list them all in detail. Therefore, I will conclude by saying that international oversight and support can be useful, provided, of course, that they are time-limited, but day-to-day micromanagement and interference in political, judicial, or financial matters prove counterproductive, as they deepen internal divisions instead of overcoming them. The damage is particularly great when such interference lasts too long - in our case, already three decades. It is encouraging that certain key global actors today recognize that the country must be returned to its domestic institutions and its constituent peoples, who should enjoy equal treatment both within the country and in international relations. In that sense, it is positive to see that instead of threats, coercion, sanctions, and external imposition, calls are now coming from those addresses for cooperation and for addressing challenges through dialogue among the political representatives of the three constituent peoples. Dialogue is precisely what every civilized political community needs, as does the world as a whole. To overcome internal and global divisions in a meaningful way, it is first necessary to understand their causes. Equally important is the willingness to listen to one another and respect differing views, instead of rejecting them in advance. At this forum, we also demonstrate that our differences, whatever they may be, do not have to be a source of conflict. Therefore, thank you for the opportunity to address you and hear the views of the other participants.