Serbian president says wars, geopolitical issues must be resolved before dealing with climate change

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday that the issue of climate change cannot be solved until wars and geopolitical issues are resolved around the world.

"How are we going to resolve the terrible problem of climate change if we are not able to resolve all the geopolitical issues that we are facing today?" Vucic made the remarks during his speech at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“There are many wars throughout the world that we have not been able to stop in the recent period. I am afraid we will not be able to do so. If we are not capable of delivering results in this, how can we be sure to deliver the very best results in climate change issues as well.”

According to Vucic, all UN member states should return to the organization's core principles because states must follow mutual rules and regulations.

"It has to happen otherwise we will always face arbitration and different approaches, and we will never deliver better results. You cannot have a different approach towards the territorial integrity of some countries. Serbia noticed this better than anyone else," Vucic said.

He stressed that members must have a common goal and a common ground to address global issues.

"Let us find a common denominator which will mean find a way, find a path to resolve firstly geopolitical issues and then to tackle in a very proper way an issue of climate changes," the Serbian president said.

The 2023 edition of the UN climate summit, commonly known as COP28, is attracting over 180 heads of state and governments from across the globe. Noteworthy is the substantial number of attendance requests, exceeding 500,000 participants.

The conference will continue until Dec. 12.