At the Balkan Leadership Conference, "Peace, Security and Development in the Western Balkans", of the Universal Peace Federation, the former President of Croatia, Stipe Mesic said that an independent Kosovo is a reality and should be recognized as such.

Speaking at the Balkan Leadership Conference, "Peace, Security and Development in the Western Balkans", organized by the Universal Peace Federation, he said that history must be explained to distant states that do not know about Kosovo but do not recognize it, and it should be explained to them why it should gain full recognition.   "History has shown hundreds of times that wars have no winners and peace has not losers, so I believe that all of you share with me such a message, that all pro-peace forces should be strengthened, and given that they have been provoked by what colleague Moisiu said, that there are still those who have recognized Kosovo but withdraw recognition, but those who have not recognized Kosovo, they are those distant countries that do not even know what Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo are, they know Yugoslavia, they remember Tito, they are distant countries and therefore these powerful policies impose the orientation that prevents the realization of what is real. Kosovo is a reality and Kosovo must be recognized", he said. He said the issue of Europe depends on the European Union's ability to impose peace. "Today the issue of Europe depends on the ability of the European Union to initiate policies to impose peace together with the UN, on this also depends the stability in our region, which some analysts see as an area or space where conflicts from Ukraine could spread. I do not believe in such a development, but there is a certain risk given the geopolitical ideas of the leaders of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina about the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina", he said. This conference is organized by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), in partnership with the KosovaPress News Agency, the Washington Times Foundation, the International Media Association for Peace (IMAP), and the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP).