|
BEIJING, Jan. 2-- As the?new year?gets underway, world leaders reflected on their mixed experiences in 2017 and looked to 2018,calling for unity and promising economic progress. CALLING FOR UNITY UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday issued a "red alert" for more unity in 2018 after what he called a year of setbacks. Nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise, inequality is growing, climate change is accelerating and the world is seeing horrific violations of human rights, he said. "Unfortunately - in fundamental ways, the world has gone in reverse," said the UN chief. "On New Year's Day 2018, I am not issuing an appeal. I am issuing an alert - a red alert for our world." French President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens of his country in his televised address Sunday to end "irreconcilable divisions" in the coming year. "At the national level, the year 2018 will be about the cohesion of the nation," said Macron, calling upon his fellow French to participate in citizen consultations in order to make Europe "more sovereign, more united and more democratic." As for the European project, Macron reaffirmed that he was "committed to Europe," and deeply believed that "Europe is good for France." Russian President Vladimir Putin Sunday called on the people to express love to their family members in his New Year greeting. "The new 2018 year is about to begin. For sure, this holiday takes place every year, but we still perceive it as new, kind, desired; believe that everything we wish during these minutes, all our hopes will become true," Putin said. | 
