Belgrade, 21. april 1999. (Ministry of informations of Republic Serbia) - On the occasion of the Day of the Planet Earth, the Serbian Ministry of Environment calls all responsible persons in the
world to fulfil their commitment and try to stop NATO's destruction of Yugoslavia. In this way they will prevent destruction of our only home -planet Earth. Yugoslavia is a small sovereign state and valuable
and inseparable part of it. In this way they will confirm that preservation of life on the Earth is really the   question of ecological conscience of every individual and the mankind in whole.

                      The memory on April 22, 1970, when enormous quantity of oil was spilled in the Santa Barbara California Bay and when millions of people protested all over the world, should be an
occasion for solidarity with jeopardized parts of the world. Unfortunately, we have to notice that in        this case when NATO attacked our country, the expected "green resistance" of the world public failed.
Millions of people of this "Yugoslav spring" failed on the exam of the ecological ethics and care for the survival of mankind. Those are, first of all, the state leaders, then international organizations and institutions, scientific institutes, ecological movements and movements for preservation of
cultural and natural resources.

                      We have been embittered by the events happening in Yugoslavia for almost a month. NATO aggressors are destroying everything with tones of explosives, and we are worried not only for the
future of the region and Europe but for the future of the whole planet. Therefore, we warn the world that this barbaric bombarding and destruction can create a broad ecological catastrophe. In this war,
the aggressors not only fail to respect the international conventions and rules in the field of environment and rights of war, but forget the elementary human ethics, destroying everything and killing everybody.

                      Although the world knows about intentional bombarding of the chemical industry of Yugoslavia and oil refineries and stores, the world ecological movement closes its eyes before the
possible ecological catastrophe which consequences could be disastrous. They are expected to fight for  the victory of the common sense and for the enforcement of the international laws. The Day of the
Planet should not be just a mere marking of the day.
 

                      MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA