US/NATO imperialism is a threat to civilization - FM Živadin Jovanović

Photo: RIA Novosti

Today Europe is living with the consequences of unprecedented US/NATO aggression against the former Yugoslavia 15 years ago. The invasion and destruction of Yugoslavia, the first war in Europe since WWII, resolved nothing in the Balkans but created many new problems. The former Foreign Minister of Yugosalvia ŽivadinJovanović discussed these issues and more in an interview with the Voice of Russia and stated that countries are increasingly becoming ready to fight back against the United States and its colonial attitudes and that it is time for all the forces of peace in the world to join together and stop US/NATO imperialist policies which are the single biggest threat to modern civilization.

Today Europe is living with the consequences of unprecedented US/NATO aggression against the former Yugoslavia 15 years ago. The invasion and destruction of Yugoslavia, the first war in Europe since WWII, resolved nothing in the Balkans but created many new problems. Most importantly it was precedent setting event and a blueprint for the following US/NATO aggressive wars in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Mali and other locations which have been the victims of US/NATO led endless war and aggression. These crimes against humanity have not been only military in nature but also clandestine, such as what we are seeing in Ukraine, Syria and Venezuela today. The West has had only objective: the domination of the world by the US/NATO and its surrogates.

PART 1

This is John Robles, I'm speaking with ŽivadinJovanović. He is the former Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia and the Chairman of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals. This is part two of a longer interview. You can find the rest of this interview on our website at voiceofrussia.com

Robles: Can I ask you now two questions? What is your opinion on the actions of the Russian government and in particular the Russian president Vladimir Putin? Do you think this historic moment is a turning point in the state of geopolitics in the world today?

Jovanović: Yes, indeed I believe so. If 1999 NATO/US led aggression against Yugoslavia was a turning point toward globalization of interventionism, toward militarization of European and international relations. It was a turning point in strategy of global domination of the West, then I think Ukrainian case and the Crimean referendum to reunite with Russia is another kind of turning point.

This I consider to be turning point towards multi-polar world relations, toward resisting the policy of domination of the West. It is to my belief a historically important turning point opening the hope for democratization of world relations opening the space for real respect of universal principals of international law and universal principal of international relations.

I would believe that this is a turning point toward a higher respect of universal organizations such as United Nations and toward respecting of the basic principles of UN Charter. And I think it is turning point toward abandoning the policy of double standards and disregard of the legitimate interests of other countries.

It is simply the beginning I think for the relieving Europe and the world of the threats of domination from one side only.

Robles: You mentioned sanctions, the rights of other countries, a few minutes ago you mentioned Al Qaeda. They were created by the US, the US is using them as their non-state army whenever they need them as their mercenary force. Al Qaeda is listed and they are sanctioned by the UN as being a terrorist organization. What is your opinion on other countries now sanctioning the US, for example: for Guantanamo, for aggressive war, for meddling into the affairs of Ukraine, for meddling into the affairs of Serbia, for redesigning the borders in Europe after WWII? I mean all of those things are illegal. What about sanctions on the US? Do you think there will be some time when countries might be calling for sanctions?

Jovanović: It is obvious that the US disrespects international law, that they disrespect international principles of international organizations. They take all those like tools to suit the interests of the US. The US is a big power but it is disregarding the interests of Europe, disregarding the interests of Russia and other big and responsible countries.

I think for the beginning we should discourage and put some limitations to expansionist policy and disregard of other countries’ interests on the part of the US.

It would be necessary to unite the countries and nations struggling for democratization of international relations, struggling against interventionism and against expansionist imperialist policy of NATO, EU, and the US. And certainly I think this should be requiring serious efforts on the part of wide international community, especially the countries like Russia, China, India, like countries of BRICS and so on.

I think Russia should do well to call upon BRICS countries and Shanghai Association countries to consider new situation brought about by expansionist policy of the US, NATO and EU. This is touching the interests of Russia right now, but from a principled point of view it is a policy questioning interests of the world community, it is the question whether we should enter an era of democratic international relations or we should be silent and accept a policy of expansion and a policy of domination.

Robles: Last two questions and then we are going to have to finish up. Can you give us your forecast on where you see the situation in Ukraine going? What do you think is going to happen withUkraine? Can you tell us about, you have a very important conference coming up on March, 24th, it is the Fifteenth Year Anniversary of the initial bombing of Yugoslavia that had begun I think most of this lawlessness and aggressive war? Tell us, please, about the conference that is coming up.

Jovanović: We all hope that a political solution will be found for the crisis in Ukraine. To have political solution I think NATO should abandon idea of forcing Ukraine to become a member of NATO. Ukraine should be treated as a country to make its own decisions and to be let alone from the Western interference, from the Western pressures and so on.

I believe that it is primarily in the interests of Europe including the EU to find out a modus vivendi with Russia and to accept substantial dialogue between Brussels and Moscow.

It is my strong belief that long term interests of Europe require stability of Brussels/Moscow relationship and it really requires more independent and pro-independent position and behavior of Europe. In this regard I would underline importance of dialogue between Moscow and Berlin which is certainly, as far as Germany is concerned, a leading EU country. And no doubt that among all European countries Germany has the greatest interest for stable relations with Russia. I think that it is possible.

Otherwise if Germany and EU pursue the policy of acting on behalf of the US interests I think it will be very bad not only for Ukraine but for Europe in general. And it would further lead to a profound long term European crisis.

I think there should be a lot of wisdom applied to avoid disintegration of Ukraine. It is one of perspectives, but that could be, I think, avoided by rational and principled policy without any threats or blackmails addressed to Moscow.

Moscow I don’t believe will bound to blackmailing from the West. It is certainly another type of power now than in 1999. Now about Ukraine, I would be a realist, it is very serious, it cannot be predicted with all certainty but certainly there is a possibility to find a political solution in the interests of stability of European continent. Nobody needs further destabilization and creation of situation of further arms race or disturbing development and profounding the socioeconomic crisis which is reigning in major parts of Europe.

As far as our conference is concerned, we have already mentioned, these days exactly from 21st to 25th of March the Belgrade Forum with a number of other independent nonpartisan associations organizes a big international gathering in Belgrade under the theme: ‘Global Peace Instead of Global Confrontation and Global Imperialism’. And it is devoted to Fifteenth Anniversary of NATO aggression, it is in memory of thousands of our citizens who were killed, in memory of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons from Kosovo and from other parts of former Yugoslavia.

We shall try that this event should not be only of memorial character, we should try to answer from now on what should be the task of peace loving forces in Europe and in the world? In this regard I think we all first of all should struggle for the truth about Yugoslav crisis, struggle further for the true presentation of NATO aggression in 1999 which was the first European war after the WWII. We should try to spread the notion and information that this was the war not against Yugoslavia or Serbia and Montenegro only, it was really the war against Europe and strangely enough the war against Europe participated by Europe.

It was also one turning point when Europe was recognizing not to have its own strategy and independence. I think there were European countries which joined the US not thinking any further what will be further development, what will be further consequences. There were other countries which entered the war against Yugoslavia for their revanchist aims, revanchist philosophy and there were simply smaller countries which didn’t have any kind of independence, which only had to listen what was the call from the US and to obey.

Anyway today we can see what kind of problems this NATO aggression 15 years ago has brought to Europe. Nothing has been resolved in the Balkans but many problems have been opened in Europe and in the world. A precedent was made, a blueprint for NATO interventions in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya, in Mali, and everywhere else.

And it is not really only to speak about military interventions because although they are the most tragic event but it is also to speak about interventions of clandestine nature, interventions like in Syria, like in Venezuela now, like in Ukraine now and so on.

And we can really see that all those interventions had one objective and still have one objective – domination of leading Western powers, first of all of the US in the world. And this is the danger really because those who should be victims of domination do not accept such a position, they are ready to fight.

And from this fact that the West doesn’t change colonial attitudes, imperial attitudes as strategy and the rest of the world not accepting to be victim of such an imperial policy I think this may lead to either confrontation and that is why all the forces of peace should join hands and stop this imperial policy endangering nowadays civilization.

We will have friends from all over the world, from about 60 countries in Europe and from other continents will be our guests and will be speakers at the conference. We will have a difficulty to accommodate all the people who will voice in favor of peace, who will support multi-polarization and democratization of the world relations.

You were listening to part 2 of an interview with ŽivadinJovanovic, the former Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia. He is also the Chairman of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals. You can find the rest of this interview on our website at voiceofrussia.com. Thanks for listening and we wish you the best.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_05/US-NATO-imperialism-is-a-threat-to-civilization-FM-ivadin-Jovanovi-7424/