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Mancham interviewed by Radio Television of Serbia

28.10.2013

Seychelles founding President Sir James R. Mancham was specially interviewed by Danijela Cvetkovic, Editor in Foreign Desk of Radio Television of Serbia, on Saturday October 12 following his address to the 9th International Conference of the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD).

The conference, which took place at the historic Belgrade City Hall, had as its theme “New Balkans and Europe - Peace, Development and Integration”.

Commenting on the arguments of earlier speakers that the Balkan needs strong institutions to bring about changes, Mr Mancham said that “strong institutions will not come about without strong leadership”.

Once again Mr Mancham argued that the Balkans, like the rest of the world, must have leaders who can combine politics with the vision of the statesmen committed to the interest of a better world order.

Mr Mancham recalled that peace and the dry up of austerities between France and Germany, after World War II, was mostly due to the statesmen-like qualities of French President Charles de Gaulle and German Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

It is ironical to note that the international round-table discussion which followed the ECPD opening plenary and was devoted to “the evolving role of the South toward global convergions”, was chaired by none other than Ambassador Idriss Jazery of Algeria, who had met President Mancham when he was meeting President Boumedienne of Algeria on the yacht of President Tito of Yugoslavia in 1976 at the Non-Aligned Summit that took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At that time, Ambassador Jazery was the personal and private assistant to President Boumedienne.

The ECPD conference this year marked the launch of the 30th anniversary of the organisation who was founded in Belgrade where it is still headquartered and under the enlightened leadership of its secretary general Professor Negoslav Ostojic. Unfortunately, President Takehiro Togo of Japan, President of ECPD Council now Professor of Tokai University of Tokyo, former Japanese Ambassador to the Russian Federation to Singapore and the Republic of Turkey was unable to attend due to health reasons - and the former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali, who is also President of the ECPD Honorary Council was committed with the internal developments within Egypt and could only send a congratulatory message.

However Dr Erhard Busek, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria and Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact SI Europe and Profesor Johan Galtung, founder of Peace Research Institute of Norway, Professor Dr Darko Tanaskovic of the University of Belgrade, Professor Dr Pasquale Baldocci of Trieste University of Italy, Professor Don Valas - President of the ECPD Academy Council and President of International Law Institute of Washington D.C., USA, Professor Dr Paskal Milo, former Foreign Minister of Albania and Professor of the University of Tirana, Albania, Professor Dr Albert Maes - President of ECPD Executive Board and of Namur University of Belgium and Professor Dr Jonathan Bradly – Vice-President of ECPD Council, all shared Mr Mancham’s view that the authorities of Serbia and Kosovo should be congratulated for their rapprochement which also deserved a special appreciation of the role which Brussels has played and is playing in the process.
 
Noting that there is finally a level of optimism on the horizon of Serbian-Kosovo relationship, Mr Mancham recalled the words of Winston Churchill “Talk-talk is certainly better than war-war”.
 
Mr Mancham left Belgrade yesterday for Seychelles by Etihad Airways via Abu Dhabi. It is to be noted that Etihad Airways recently entered into a collaborating partnership agreement with former Yugoslavia airline JAT to form a new company AIRSERBIA, with Etihad taking 49 percent of the shares and with management contract for the next five years.

Questioned by Serbian TV interviewer Danijela Cvetkovic as to his opinion concerning the alarming headline in a Seychelles newspaper that Etihad was considering to stop its flights to Seychelles, Mr Mancham said that the article was nothing more than a piece of irresponsible sensational journalism.

He said that he has been in direct contact with Peter Baumgartner – Vice-President and Director of Commercial activities of Etihad Airways and has received the assurance that Etihad remains committed to all its agreement with the Republic of Seychelles and Air Seychelles.

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