Every country must strive for sustainable development, which is crucial for continuous economic growth in an interconnected world, Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek said on Saturday.

Political, economic and security systems in every part of the world are closely linked by the globalization drive, and no one can be profitable in the long run if his models are not sustainable, Drnovsek stressed while giving a speech at the on-going Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in South China's Hainan Province.

"The objective of sustainable development is crisis prevention, in particular building social and economic stability together with ensuring environment protection," the Slovenian president noted, warning that social conflicts are the worst enemies of business progress.

Reviewing the avian influenza epidemic, surging oil prices, lavish water consumption and other problems the world has experienced or is experiencing, the president underlined the pressing need to pursue sustainable development and assure that it is not just a "utopian dream."

Drnovsek was among the 850 distinguished guests attending the three-day annual meeting of BFA, a non-government mechanism enabling Asian decision makers to have in-depth discussions about the critical issues of the region.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2006)