International Seminar on Parliamentary Diplomacy, October 17-18, 2024, Havana, Cuba.
Honourable Chair, distinguished colleagues,
It is my great honour and pleasure to greet you on behalf of the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and to thank you for inviting us to take part in this seminar aimed at promoting debate on the role of parliamentarians in strengthening international rights, promoting the principles and goals of the United Nations Charter and in building up a better, more fair and peaceful world.
Today, when after over three decades, the world is becoming multipolar again, with increasingly certain end of the political hegemony of the collective West, the subjects discussed at this seminar are more than topical. I am convinced that over these two days we will have an opportunity to exchange experiences and acquire new knowledge that is necessary to establish a more fair world order, based on unconditional respect for the international rights and to build up a multipolar world based on the principles set up by the UN Charter and on an inalienable right of states and nations to a free economic development. This is a political struggle to establish the world order that would bring more security and stability, greater respect for underdeveloped and medium-developed countries and ensure thorough reforms of international financial institutions, thus creating conditions for equal economic development of all countries. In short, this is a struggle against the current political and financial slavery.
Is there anything more important today than fighting for the freedom, equality and parity of all states and nations, for an idea of national independence, for preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also fighting against neoimperialism and neocolonialism. I am glad to see that we will stand together in this fight and I am certain we will win.
Numerous free states and nations in the world, including my country as well, have been suffering under political and economic pressures for years now, aimed at forcing us to renounce our sovereignty and a smaller or a larger part of our state territory. We are witnessing the world ruled by the more powerful, stronger and richer ones. Those who ruthlessly deny justice and truth on almost daily basis, for their personal interests and benefits. Those who, for the sake of wellbeing of their own nations, mercilessly shed blood of the innocent people all over the globe, on almost daily basis. Wars, refugees, bombings, terrorism, military interventions, persecution of civilians, have all become a part of daily events, to a much greater extent than ever before. Some individuals are harping on freedom and democracy more than ever before, while at the same time their hands are becoming bloodier and bloodier.
Some of the severest crimes that global hegemons have been committing over past few decades, besides their shameful military interventions, include imposing financial and economic bans against some sovereign states. Bans and sanctions that, just like illegitimate military interventions, are imposed without consent of international organisations, notably the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, have become major political weapon of global hegemons. Such a political retaliation, which it essentially is, has immeasurable, disastrous repercussions on, above all, innocent citizens of the sanctioned states, threatening their subsistence, health, freedom and right to a decent life.
When I saw the list of countries participating in this event, I noticed a significant number of representatives of the countries that, just like my country, were or still are victims of illegal and unjust sanctions, so unfortunately, many of you here know how difficult and inhumane they are, both for individuals and for the entire nation. If we look behind, we will see that the sanctions have been mostly imposed against libertarian and peace-loving nations and states, notably because they have been willing to bravely protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity, without any compromises. Their trust in justice and international right, their wish to remain proud, free and independent made them became hostages and victims of the richest, the most powerful and unfortunately, the most ruthless ones.
This is why in the end of my speech I would kindly invite us all to jointly appeal to international community to make more efforts to undo the injustice made to both our host, the Republic of Cuba and its freedom-loving people, and to Venezuela, Russia, Belarus and to all other free countries and nations that are victims of the most shameless political violence against international right, and to finally end constant, two-and-a-half decades long violence and persecution against my Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, unfolding before the eyes of entire world.
Thank you for your attention.