Nikolic: Serbia ready to contribute

Nikolic: Serbia ready to contribute

Serbia is a small country, but through partnership with others, it can remove all threats and problems that surpass its current possibilities, Nikolic said during the UN summit on climate changes in New York.

Nikolic stated that it has been clear for a while now that the search for a solution to the issue of global climate changes demands comprehensive efforts, and recalled the forecast according to which global temperature would increase by several degrees and natural disasters would become more frequent in the 21st century.

In an effort to give its contribution to the search for a solution to this problem, Serbia is ready to become actively involved to this end, especially since it has been struggling with catastrophic floods for months now, Nikolic said.

He stated that the consequences of climate changes would additionally increase the tensions caused by extensive inequalities already present in the world.

The catastrophic forecast for the future will deal the hardest blow to the weakest and to those that are yet to launch their economies and ensure a better life for their citizens, Nikolic warned.

He underscored that it is up to politicians to provide full support to science activities and come up with a coordinated and adjusted response to climate changes and extreme weather conditions.

I believe that adaptation and preparation of the response by the government and the society to each potential scenario, including the worst case one, constitutes our basic and most important task, Nikolic said.

According to him, through its government and science institutions, Serbia will continue contributing to UN activities and all other regional and European initiatives in tasks concerning climate monitoring and reduction of negative consequences of climate changes with respect for relevant international documents.

Nikolic also voiced the hope that the third UN global conference on reduction of risk from catastrophes due in Japan in 2015 would produce an agreement on adoption of the framework for long-term reduction of risks from catastrophes which would place additional emphasis on the scenario forecast.

We have two options, either to accept the situation as it is and do nothing or to assume responsibility and change it in order to ensure survival for the humankind, Nikolic said and added that Serbia wants to make progress and has no alternative.

The summit in New York was opened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the meeting on the margins of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly is attended by leaders of 120 countries.