The major speaker at the Conference was Živadin Jovanović, President of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals who had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1998 to 2000.
“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the foundation of NATO, the armed hand of Euro-Atlantic imperialism, as well as 25 years since the adoption of NATO's new doctrine at the Summit of 25/4/1999, when it set the supposed combat against “international terrorism” and “spread of weapons of mass destruction” as the mission of its so-called “peaceful operations”. It's been also 25 years since the dirty war against Yugoslavia. As in the case of Ukraine, the first act is far enough before the formal beginning of the war. It was prepared by the overthrow of the USSR and the other socialist countries in Europe and the beginning dates back to 1992, when Yugoslavia was dissolved at the initiative of the EU. 78 days of indiscriminate NATO bombings left thousands of dead people, the majority of which were civilians, children, elderly people. Infrastructure, schools and hospitals, television stations and even third-country embassies were leveled. Cluster bombs were used and, for the first time, bombs of depleted uranium. USA and NATO dropped 31,000 such missiles, which correspond to 10 tons of this dangerous material, the consequences of which haven't been studied enough. Following the borders change in the Balkans, Camp Bondsteel, one of the U.S largest military bases was installed in the protectorate of Kosovo. Yugoslavia serves as a laboratory for the interventions that followed”.
Warm reception of KKE representantives
As “Rizospastis” daily reports, particularly warm was the reception of a delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) following a special invitation by Živadin Jovanović. Welcoming the KKE representatives, Theodosis Konstantinidis and Giorgos Havatzas, in the Conference, Jovanovic noted:
“The Serbian people had many friends during the NATO war against our country but, without exaggeration, we distinguish the tireless, moving , mass, popular and resourceful activity of the brotherly Greek people who, with the KKE and the anti-imperialist movement in the vanguard, managed to either prevent and delay NATO troops in Thessaloniki, or even ridicule them by falsely directing them to the central vegetable market of the city”. Moreover, he added that “only those who are inspired and guided by high ideals can achieve what you achieved in Greece and especially in Thessaloniki. The Serbian people will be indebted to you forever".
