Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Comrades,

Allow me to express most warmly my gratitude for your kind invitation to me to take part in this important gathering and for the warm hospitality by our friendly hosts. I feel great satisfaction to have the honor to address this distinguished meeting of Peace Movements of the Balkans and the Middle East on behalf of Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals. May I convey to you most warm greetings of the Belgrade Forum Leadership, together with their wish for the success of this gathering and for ever more successful collaboration of our movements.

Our meeting is being held at the moment when the situation in our region last few months is the matter of great concern, not only to the adherents of the Peace Movement but to all the peoples of our countries. Complete historic experience, so far, indicates that stable and prosperous Balkans and the Middle East are of prime interest, not only for our peoples, but because they have great impact on peace and stability in Europe and in the world. Situation in both of these regions is, however, very complex, with an array of political, security and socio-economic problems, carrying a danger of still deeper destabilization, even arm conflicts.

As you well know, the Balkans or, rather its western part, last twenty years was encountering many dramatic changes and was subject to experiments of the new NATO doctrine, with brutal violation of the International Law. Forceful disruption and partition of the former joint State – Yugoslavia, in a plot of internal separatist forces and external factors, was accompanied by a tragic civil war in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO aggression on Serbia (then FR of Yugoslavia) in 1999 presented as a ‘Humanitarian intervention’, beyond huge number of civilian victims and destruction, led to the occupation of Kosovo and Metohija, to the purges of several hundred of thousands of Serbs and other non-Albanian inhabitants and, later, to the unulateral proclamation of independence of that Serbian province in 2008.

Kosovo and Metohia is today the main sorce of testabilization in the region. It is a spring bord for terrorism, Islamic extremism and drug, human and arms trafficking towards  Central and Western Europe. We give the full support to the iniciative of the Swiss parlamentarian  Mr. Dick Marty,  to investigate and to unvail full truth about illegal trade of human organs, extracted from Serbs kidnaped in Kosovo and Metogia, with direct involvement of some top leaders of the terrorist KLA (''Kosovo Liberation Army'').

Although during last ten years a remarkable progress is realized in normalization of relations between the newly created states, traces of distrust are still present and they are limiting the efforts for the establishment of normal political, economic, cultural and other ties. Known in history as mixture of peoples, cultures and religions, the Balkans, after fragmentation of Yugoslavia and creation of new states, has become “wealthier” with new national minorities, constructions and proclamations of more languages, and, even, new religions and churches.    
Special problem, not just for Serbia, but for the region as a whole, presents the illegal secession of Kosovo and Metohia, which remains unchanged and is the main source of destabilization in the Balkans. Serbia, regardless of pressure she has been exposed to, can not and will never recognize that illegal creation made by the NATO.

On the opposite side of the Mediterranean, dramatic happenings in the Arab world excite the international public. Protests and revolt have swept across the whole arab World, from the Atlantic costline to the shores of the Persian Gulf.  Although this revolutionary movement has its specifics from country to country, their common denominator is – the overthrowing of the autocratic regimes, reassertion of their national sovereignty and a more just distribution of national wealth. Mass movements in the North African and the Middle East countries have unveiled many problems, accumulated during the decades of autocratic rule and imperialist domination, but, at the same time, they have shown maturity of the Arab peoples, which is giving them new strength. These processes reflect an awakening of the Arab peoples, whose identity, particularity and culture have been neglected and under-estimated for a long time. All in all,  this are putting in question regional power set-up, which was quite convenient to the imperialist centers of power and to Israel.  It is about the process that makes the situation for the Arab People to get rid of the cheek of imperialism and finally get the Palestine rid of Israel’s occupation.

The emerging of mighty popular movements, especially in Tunisia and Egypt, is not suitable to the imperialist power centers of the West. From the beginning of these mass movements, western factors, especially the U.S., NATO, E.U., are trying hard to put them under control and manage their course in the way that corresponds to their strategic interests. Events in Libya have been a particular cause of concern. Although the character and demands of the anti-Gaddafi movement are not completely clear, serious danger of the foreign intervantion, the  partition of Libya and of larger and prolonged civil war is somthing that warris us all.   That would be neither in the interest of Libyan people nor the Arab world as a whole. The Belgrade Forum strongly rejects outside pressure, threats and any form of foreign intervention in Libya. Libyan people have their sovereign rights to ask for the changes in political, social and economic field in their country. We are convinced that Libyan people will overcome the present crises and find out the desired political solutions. It must not be permitted that Libya becomes North African military base of the United States and NATO, the springboard for manipulation with popular movements in Arab countries in the interest of the West and Israel.

War games about Libya, to which we assist these days, managed by the United States, E.U. and NATO, are the latest warning and doubtless evidence that our broader area is in focus of intensified interest of the novel NATO strategy, adopted at its summit in Lisbon on 20th November 2010. It is evident that external intervention in Libya under disguise of humanitarianism, has the goal to install control of the processes in the region, as well as on their energy and natural resources for the advantage of the imperialistic power centers. Legitimate is the aspiration of all peoples to express their aspirations and, indeed, their sovereign right to ask for the political, democratic, social and other changes in their own country. This, however, can not be the excuse for meddling from abroad or for the imposition of the solution by way of military intervention in contravention with the interest of peoples of these countries. Tragic experience of Serbia (the FR of Yugoslavia), who was subject to aggression in 1999, shows that NATO has no purpose to keep the peace, democracy or justice, but rather for the purpose of global domination of imperialism. We remind you that NATO, during the aggression twelve years ago, committed grievous crimes against the peace and humanity, killing thousands of civilians, using forbidden weapons with depleted uranium.

Overall experience from the end of last and the beginning of this century indicates that NATO is not defensive, but rather offensive, aggressive military alliance, whose real goals and practice are in contravention with basic principles of the UN Charter and the International Law. It is about military alliance that is trying hard, primarily on behalf of the United States, to discontinue unavoidable deep transformation in global relationship in the world, appearing not as a factor of peace, but factor of sharpening, confrontation and conflicts. Aggression on Serbia (FR of Yugoslavia) meant decisive turn about in change of the NATO strategy into offensive power, based on the doctrine of the “humanitarian intervention.” Actually, NATO has evolved as a tool for the attainment of American strategic goals on the global level.

At the last Summit in Lisbon the NATO goals „Going forward” were redefined so as to take the charge in decision-making on all global and regional issues, from civil wars and type of socio-political systems, to displacement of missiles, nuclear weapons, terrorism, or cyber security. Adopted strategic concept also endeavors NATO to additionally work-out the doctrine and military capability for the expeditionary operations world wide, which indicates the possibility of undertaking of new aggressive actions anywhere on the Planet. NATO pretends to be the sole guarantor of security in Europe, regardless of the fact that a score of European countries are not members of the Alliance. As such, the new Strategic concept of NATO means a serious threat for peace and security in the Mediterranean region, and broader in the world. The authors of that concept state, with surprising cynicism, that the Alliance is dedicated to the aims and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to the Washington Agreement, which confirm desisive responsibility of the UN Security Council for safeguarding the peace and security. Bypassing exactly the United Nations and its Security Council, NATO had undertaken the aggression on Serbia (FR of Yugoslavia) and is evermore today showing up as a self-proclaimed peace protector, promoter of democracy, human rights and stability.

Although its existence during the Cold war could be formally justified, today the NATO is obsolete, unnecessary and detrimental. NATO has become the main hurdle to the democratization of international relations and its new interventionist strategy is the source of great danger for peace and security in the world. Confirmation of this is its expansion to the East, opening of its new military bases in Kosovo and Metohia, Bulgaria, Romania and other European countries, plan for installation of new missile systems in Europe, establishment of the NATO command for Africa and many other steps. Within this expansion action, Serbia is also subject to open pressure last few years to join the NATO. Great deal of population, some 75%, is against it, considering that Serbia should not be the member of any military alliance, but rather to remain neutral. Not just for the fact that Serbia was the target of NATO aggression, but also because its vital national interests are not compatible with aggressive nature, aims and strategy of NATO.

As for many peace-loving movements in Europe and in the world, for the majority of Serbia’s people there is nothing that justifies the existence of NATO, when world peace and security are in question. Therefor, the Belgrade Forum considers that all peace-loving forces of the world have to get united in their decisive request for the dissolution of the NATO alliance.

Yes to Pece! No to NATO!

Thank you for your attention.