In his address to meeting participants, President Putin said that the existing system of international law had recently revealed many imperfections and internal contradictions with significant potential for conflict.
Clearly, he said, the system must develop, improve and keep up with a rapidly changing world. In that context, he stressed, it was very important to boost the importance of multifaceted cooperation between states, which is still the foundation of international stability and security.
The President also noted that the United Nations should have an effective array of tools to solve global issues of world politics.
He expressed his belief that if precise and clear-cut legal mechanisms were timely provided to resolve crisis situations, it would be possible to find more effective solutions to the most complex world problems without going beyond the law.
Before the meeting began at St Petersburg State University, German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was awarded the gown of the University’s honourary doctor of law.