LONDON (AP) - Former Soviet leader Mikhael Gorbachev would like to help build a new world order, but warned against attempts to Americanize cultures across the world.
Addressing more than 1,000 business leaders in Harrogate, northern England, Gorbachev also said Friday that world leaders were struggling to keep up with rapid change.
``Unfortunately,'' he said, ``we wasted a lot of time after the end of the Cold War. Today, we have to build a new world order step by step.''
Gorbachev, who was president of the Soviet Union from 1985 until it collapsed in 1991, also said anti-globalization sentiment stems from a desire to preserve unique identities and cultures.
``Some people would like to Westernize every country just like the communists tried to make the whole world (communist),'' he said. ``Some other people want to Americanize the world. But we have seen how people have responded in
many countries of the world.''
He said Great Britain has resisted some changes to its system.
``(Great Britain) is the toughest nut to crack in the European Union. I can see for example that you are still using the pound,'' he said, referring to the country's decision not to use the single European currency.