The Last President of ex-Yugoslavia Stjepan Mesić turned 89 today: ‘I never celebrate with politicians and that’s a very good decision’
On the eve of the New Year and the upcoming elections, the former president sent a message to all Croats: ‘I hope we will find the strength…’
I feel fine, but I had a little cold, so I have a little trouble speaking, but otherwise, everything is fine, said Stjepan Mesić, former president of the Republic of Croatia, who is celebrating his 89th birthday today, for 24sata.
Mesić was born in Orahovica in 1934, and in addition to being president of Croatia for two terms, he was appointed, after the first multiparty elections, as the first prime minister of the Republic of Croatia. As he says, he will spend this year’s birthday in the company of his friends.
– The same company as last year is waiting for me, I think it will be very good. I’m not one of those people who hangs out with those groups of politicians, I’ve always handled my private matters with friends. I have never celebrated my birthday, name day, or New Year with politicians. I was always with friends and relatives and I think I was right – Mesić tells us.
At the beginning of 1991, Mesić played an important role in preventing a coup by the general leadership of the former JNA against the democratically oriented republics of Croatia and Slovenia, and today, looking from that position, he says that what is happening in Gaza and Ukraine must stop.
– Gaza, like war, must stop being the first topic on our televisions, it must end as soon as possible. As for Ukraine, what was not resolved by diplomacy unfortunately ended with the war, with hundreds and thousands of dead, I can openly say that war cannot end on the battlefield – claims Mesić and adds;.
– He cannot end with the victory of one side or the other, Ukraine received millions of tons of weapons to defeat Putin’s Russia, and on the other hand, Russia has so many possibilities that it can wage war for tens of years. When this is true, let’s go back to diplomacy, let’s end the war. It is possible, I hope that people will have enough understanding for the feeling of the world to stop this war and sit down at the diplomatic table – Mesić added.
On the eve of 2024, in which elections await us, he sent a message to all Croatian citizens.
– I hope that Croatia will find the strength to put its destiny in the hands of those who know what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Who knows how to assess the situation, assess our collaborators, our allies, but above all assess our possibilities and that we have such a policy that citizens can be satisfied? I hope that, after the next elections, Croatia will be among the countries that do not want something beyond the possible, but only to achieve what is possible, which is to develop our country in peace – concluded Stjepan Mesić.
(24 sata)
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