State Secretary Hido Biščević received French Ambassador Bellanger and German Chargé d’Affaires Hölscher

The French Ambassador and German Chargé d’Affaires informed state secretary Biščević about their countries’ views regarding the reform of the UN, especially its Security Council. The two countries jointly advocate an increase in the number of permanent members of the Security Council by including two industrially developed countries, as well as an increase in the number of non-permanent members, so that the countries of Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America could take part in its activities. This matter will be further discussed when Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Foreign Minister Miomir Žužul at the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

State Secretary Biščević confirmed that Croatia is interested in actively participating in the discussion about the UN reform, as a country with rich experience in the functioning of some parts of the UN activities, and as a country interested in becoming a non-permanent member of the Security Council 2008/2009. Hido Biščević pointed out that the Security Council enlargement is also necessary because of the growing interdependence of international relations, whereby a larger number of states need to assume the responsibility in order to achieve an efficient multilateralism.