"The crisis in Darfur is worsening, therefore I believe an international peace conference needs to be held to put an end to it," President Janez Drnovsek told the press on Thursday as he presented in more detail his recent appeal to stop the humanitarian crisis in this western Sudanese region.
Drnovsek would like to see the EU, the African Union, NATO, the UN, the G8 as well as Sudan and Chad cooperate in this conference in a bid to find a long-lasting solution to and come up with a development plan for Darfur.
The president moreover said that he discussed this issue over the phone with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday, who in Drnovsek's words was grateful for his Darfur initiative.
Drnovsek also announced his plan to meet Annan in New York on 18 January on his way to Bolivia's La Paz, where he is to attend the inauguration of the new Bolivian President Evo Morales, and meet several of the presidents of Latin America.
Replying to the Foreign Ministry's concern about the actual effectiveness of Slovenia's initiative if the country was to act alone, Drnovsek reassured the ministry that he planned to work hand in hand with the international community.
At a separate press conference, FM Dimitrij Rupel said Slovenia was already contributing its share to resolving the situation in Darfur, with its financial help reaching EUR 50,000. If the cabinet backs Drnovsek's plan to set up a camp for 10,000 Darfur refugees, US$ 1m to US$ 2m will be needed, he said.
Drnovsek still plans to visit Chad and Sudan on 13 and 14 February, although he will not travel directly to Darfur due to security issues, over which the Foreign Ministry expressed concern.
The president is pleased with the response his initiative to end the crisis in Darfur has been met with in the Slovenian public. "This shows that Slovenians have a conscience and that we do care about what happens around the world," Drnovsek added.
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