Kosovo tragedy results in humanitarian disaster in Europe's centre

ITAR-TASS (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), 28.09.2006, 17.35

RHODES, Greece, September 28 (Itar-Tass) - Kosovo's tragedy that has not been averted yet, resulted in humanitarian catastrophe in the very center of Europe and created difficult problems for many people, the co-chair of the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" told a plenary session on Thursday.

"The level of conflicts in the modern world has extremely grown," Vladimir Yakunin said.

"This is connected with the crisis of cooperation between world elites, the failure to reach an agreement and the loss of a common floor for understanding that creates favorable background for simmering conflicts and new challenges and threats," he said.

"Global processes in the end of the twentieth century divided world elites. One part follows 'the civilization of general human values' that straddled a wave of globalization. Another part of world elites chose a path of self-determination," Yakunin said.

He pointed out that the modern world faces such decisions as if they were taken by people who are deprived of any civilized identity or openly ignore this identity in their decisions.

"This brings real political contradictions to a clash of civilizations and triggers hot conflicts," he said.

All this weakens the efficiency of such an important world policy instrument as the United Nations, Yakunin said. "It is important to strengthen the UN's role, boost its activity based on wider understanding of people's interests."

The meeting that opened on Rhodes on Wednesday brought together 600 politicians, public figures, scientists and entrepreneurs from 60 countries.