PRESIDENTS KUCAN AND MESIC ABOUT BORDER AGREEMENT
Satisfaction with the willingness to resolve the border issues
President Kucan's statement after the working meeting

Umag (Croatia), 22 July 2001


For the first time after a long period, my friend President Mesic and I are meeting in a realistically more optimistic atmosphere. The perspectives to resolve old problems which were burdening the relationship between our two countries are now better than ever.

I am particularly glad to see that both countries have showed their ability to create the opportunities for resolving mutual problems to the benefit and welfare of both countries and their nations. They showed their ability to extend the space of stability and security in Europe, and to resolve their problems alone without burdening others and jeopardising the hardly obtained European peace.

In my opinion, it was high time for the problems between our two countries to be resolved. It would not have been reasonable if, after ten years, we would still have kept the situation where, at the declarative and verbal levels, the interest of both countries to arrange their relationships was underlined many times, while at the practical level there was a lot of hesitation, inability and even lack of readiness on the side of both Governments to assume the responsibility for finding the solutions versus their own and the international public. Now that both Governments have found this willingness and resolution, in my view they deserve due respect.

Now, after the parliamentary elections, when both Governments are released from the pre-electoral and other political burdens, the time has come to pass over from words to action. These actions are now reflected in a compromise, since no other way is possible. I think it is extremely important that both sides take into account the vital interests of the other state and try to find a compromise based on the respect of these vital and legitimate interests.

I think that it is very important that particularly the Agreement on the Maritime Border, and the Border Agreement in general comply with the objectives that were pursued by President Mesic and I already during our past meetings before President Mesic was elected President of the Republic of Croatia, and even later in all our formal and informal meetings: that the vital interest of the Republic of Croatia was to preserve its border with Italy, and the vital interest of Slovenia, as a maritime state, to preserve its link with the open sea. This Agreement has made this possible, and from this point of view I think that the most vital goals of both states have been reached. Personally, I am very satisfied because this Agreement is so close to the solution that I had discussed with President Tudjman late in 1991 and early in 1992, and then also in 1995 during my last official visit in Zagreb - as a possible solution to this very sensitive problem. The solutions are not new. However, they have been maturing, and have eventually matured in the form of this Agreement.

I do not believe that the efforts of the two Governments brought the matter to its end. Hard work will be required in the future in order to obtain support for this Agreement from both the Slovenian and the Croatian public. I am convinced, however, that through our serious efforts, the public in both states will understand that this Agreement is going to facilitate the lives of people in both states. It will facilitate the free flow of people, capital, services and goods; and it is above all for the good of managing a life which is close to the life in the countries of the European Union which Slovenia and Croatia wish to enter.

This very ability to resolve the issues in the European way is a fair ticket to this desired society of the European states, very significant for both Croatia and Slovenia. If we review what each of the two states has received, I would say that they both received a lot from the point of view of the future, and their common life. For after regulating this issue and through the life in a united Europe, there comes a sense to all that was initiated together and, to a great extent, also realised in the years following 1986, and then in 1990 and 1991 when the same arguments and efforts helped us to obtain the international acknowledgement of our two independent states.

I hope that once the public has understood this, it will be easier to convince the deputies in both Parliaments, it will also be easier to convince the political parties, and it will be much easier to obtain the ratification of this Agreement in Parliaments of the respective states.