Tadić proposes Belgrade as next summit host

President Boris Tadic has proposed Belgrade as the host of the Non-Aligned Movement’s 50th anniversary summit in 2011. In an address to the summit, this year taking place in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, Tadic recalled that the movement had been founded at a conference in Belgrade, and that marking the 50th anniversary in the Serbian capital would be a way of paying tribute to the perspicacity of the organization’s founding fathers. Tadic proposes Belgrade as next summit host “I represent a country that is the biggest successor state to the movement’s founder, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and our capital, Belgrade, is a place the movement’s members have fond memories of. Our president back them, Josip Broz Tito, was among the movement’s founders,“ said the president. He stressed that Serbia, regardless of its EU aspirations, would continue to support the Non-Aligned Movement’s main objectives, such as creating a just society. “We actively encourage the movement’s commitment to promoting democratization and international relations, and upholding universal human rights,“ said Tadic, adding that achieving such goals was necessary for overcoming economic inequalities, particularly during the economic crisis. The president observed that Article 30 of the Sharm El-Sheikh declaration affirmed the member-states' commitment to fully comply with international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the efforts to settle all disputes in keeping with the UN Charter and ICJ Statute. “That is consistent with Serbia’s decision to respond to the unilateral declaration of independence by the Albanian authorities in our province of Kosovo in a peaceful and diplomatic manner,“ he stressed. Tadic added that Serbia had eschewed all use of violence or unilateral measures, such as economic sanctions. Instead, he said, Belgrade had opted to rely on ICJ laws. The president thanked all the movement’s members that had supported Serbia’s resolution to bring the question of the legality of Kosovo’s unilateral independence before the ICJ, which would make a judgment on this based on international law. He added that this would be the first time in the ICJ’s history that it had been called upon to give its opinion on such a matter. Consequently, Tadic said, it was paramount that the court be left to do its job without external pressure and that member-states withhold recognitions of Kosovo. Boris Tadic (FoNet) Tadic talks Kosovo with Afghan, Dominican presidents President Boris Tadic has asked his counterparts from Afghanistan and the Dominican Rep. to reassess their position on Kosovo once the ICJ delivers its ruling. Tadic held several meetings with heads of state and government of Non-Aligned Movement member-states in the margins of the organization’s summit, which is being held this year in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Besides Kosovo, the president discussed enhancement of bilateral relations and economic cooperation with his colleagues. “I must say that I insisted on talks with the two presidents and asked them to take into consideration the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reconsider their decision. They promised to discuss this very seriously in their countries, and I think that this is an international summit where such themes must be opened, both with those who are of a similar or close opinion, and those with whom you don’t have the exact same opinion,” he said.

Tadić proposes Belgrade as next summit host

“I represent a country that is the biggest successor state to the movement’s founder, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and our capital, Belgrade, is a place the movement’s members have fond memories of. Our president back them, Josip Broz Tito, was among the movement’s founders,“ said the president.

He stressed that Serbia, regardless of its EU aspirations, would continue to support the Non-Aligned Movement’s main objectives, such as creating a just society.

“We actively encourage the movement’s commitment to promoting democratization and international relations, and upholding universal human rights,“ said Tadić, adding that achieving such goals was necessary for overcoming economic inequalities, particularly during the economic crisis.

The president observed that Article 30 of the Sharm El-Sheikh declaration affirmed the member-states' commitment to fully comply with international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the efforts to settle all disputes in keeping with the UN Charter and ICJ Statute.

“That is consistent with Serbia’s decision to respond to the unilateral declaration of independence by the Albanian authorities in our province of Kosovo in a peaceful and diplomatic manner,“ he stressed.

Tadić added that Serbia had eschewed all use of violence or unilateral measures, such as economic sanctions.

Instead, he said, Belgrade had opted to rely on ICJ laws.

The president thanked all the movement’s members that had supported Serbia’s resolution to bring the question of the legality of Kosovo’s unilateral independence before the ICJ, which would make a judgment on this based on international law.

He added that this would be the first time in the ICJ’s history that it had been called upon to give its opinion on such a matter.

Consequently, Tadić said, it was paramount that the court be left to do its job without external pressure and that member-states withhold recognitions of Kosovo.

Tadić talks Kosovo with Afghan, Dominican presidents

President Boris Tadić has asked his counterparts from Afghanistan and the Dominican Rep. to reassess their position on Kosovo once the ICJ delivers its ruling.

Tadić held several meetings with heads of state and government of Non-Aligned Movement member-states in the margins of the organization’s summit, which is being held this year in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Besides Kosovo, the president discussed enhancement of bilateral relations and economic cooperation with his colleagues.

“I must say that I insisted on talks with the two presidents and asked them to take into consideration the opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reconsider their decision. They promised to discuss this very seriously in their countries, and I think that this is an international summit where such themes must be opened, both with those who are of a similar or close opinion, and those with whom you don’t have the exact same opinion,” he said.