Danilo Turk, former president of Slovenia, has said the Global Security Initiative "rightly emphasizes the centrality of respect for the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of all states and non-use-of-force and noninterference in the internal affairs of states".

He made the comment in a prerecorded video speech intended for a Lanting Forum event hosted by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Tuesday about the Global Security Initiative.

"Only cooperation based on the respect of others and of the legitimate interest of others … promises a way forward," he said.

"Threats to international peace and security — both traditional, including the use of military force, and non-traditional — continue to persist," he said.

The mentality of the Cold War "is taking hold in much of the West, affecting global security and making international communication more difficult and less productive", he warned.

He noted that the Tuesday event was taking place less than a year after President Xi Jinping launched the "much needed and very welcome Global Security Initiative" in April.

"The world needs an intensified, respectful and honest discussion on international peace and security. The Global Security Initiative of President Xi offers a most welcome platform for such a discussion," he said.