THE SITUATION IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE MARKED THE TALKS
The official visit of the President of Albania, Mr. Rexhep Meidani to Slovenia
Statements by President of Slovenia at the joint press conference

Ljubljana, 29 September 1999

Wherever multi-ethnic areas existed in the Balkans, also in all the former republics of Yugoslavia, this multitude of ethnicities, cultures and religions needs to be preserved. It is ecumenicism that we see as the value which could be in-woven to a high extent into the foundations of a new coexistence, pointed out the President referring to the Stability Pact.

Mister President, ladies and gentlemen, this was a meeting of two friendly states wishing to deepen their relations and intensify their political dialogue. The times and the situation in Southeast Europe marked the essence of these talks. This is understandable, for although we are in different positions this situation affects life in both countries. Albania is directly implicated in all these confrontations. It took on a great burden in the form of refugees as well as through its general involvement, just like Macedonia did, thus relieving the international community of a burden even greater than that which already had to be sacrificed for the consolidation of the situation not only in Kosovo, but throughout SE Europe. Slovenia, which has this restless area in its back yard, of course lives with these burdens and feels all the consequences. That is why we discussed these issues both from the point of view of Slovenia's interests as well as from the aspect of principles and of the responsibility Slovenia carries in the joint endeavours of the international community for the stabilisation of the situation in SE Europe.

It is in our interest for the situation to be stabilised and for the transition processes as well as security, economic, social and other reforms in Albania to deepen. To the extent that Slovenia's experience can prove beneficial, Slovenia will share its experience with Albania. This, of course, also pertains to the organisation of the legal system, also through international agreements guaranteeing legal security to business transactions between our enterprises and those in Albania. There is great interest for this and specific projects exist as well, the greatest among them being the modernisation of the port of Durres. Slovenia is also interested in preparing and approximating Albania to European integration as soon as possible, since we see a long-term guarantee for peace and stability only in the unification of Europe. Here, too, Slovenia is prepared to share its experience with Albania in EU negotiations as well as in its entering Partnership for Peace and NATO.

As regards Kosovo and the heart of the Balkans, we reiterated our positions that the NATO intervention put an end to violence and barbarism, the kind of barbarism that also broke former Yugoslavia apart. The intervention was justified by upholding the fact that fundamental human rights and human dignity are a value that the international community gives priority to over the sovereignty of a state and that it is in the light of this value, human dignity and fundamental human rights, that all the moves now being made by the international community on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and especially Kosovo should be looked at.

Slovenia sees the Stability Pact in this function. It sees it not only as the end of the harshest violence, but also as an opportunity to search for new foundations of coexistence and an opportunity to do away with the historical reasons behind conflicts that destabilise the Balkans and thus destabilise Europe. Building all relations on the respect of man's dignity and his rights means that we consistently insist on our position that violence had to be intervened against and that new violence cannot occur, not even in the name of past suffering and violence. Wherever multi-ethnic areas existed in the Balkans, also in all the former republics of Yugoslavia, this multitude of ethnicities, cultures and religions needs to be preserved. It is ecumenicism that we see as the value which could be in-woven to a high extent into the foundations of a new coexistence.

As to the fate of those areas that were most severely struck by violence, this is a matter that is linked to further processes not only in Kosovo and not only in Serbia, but throughout Europe as well. Yet in no way can these decisions, whatever they might be, be accepted without the active participation of the people who live there and, I'm certain, without the participation of the nations who lived there in the past. One of the things that the international community will have to tackle, this also being in the common interest of Slovenia and Albania, is the proliferation of arms and disarmament. There are too many weapons in this area and they are used much too quickly. The key issue at hand is, nevertheless, the creation of conditions for new development, economic development in particular, also by way of the Stability Pact. For as long as people in these areas will live on the brink of European poverty, it will be difficult for them to understand Europeans and for other Europeans to understand them, and that, I think, is the core interest of bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Albania. Thank you very much.

QUESTION FROM REPORTER:
A question for both Presidents. Did both countries agree that ethnic violence in Kosovo deserves denouncing, regardless of who is exercising the violence?

MILAN KUCAN
I think I was clear on that. Slovenia was and remains consistent in upholding the position that no violence whatsoever against man, against a person of another nation or religion is acceptable and that this cannot be justified even by someone being the victim of violence. It is my belief, and I remain firm in this belief, that wherever nationalistic policies meet, policies that build on the belief that they are entitled to ethnically clean territories under some sort of historical justification and that they are in the function of expanding nationally clean territories, there violence is bound to occur. Just like we were against violence in Kosovo in the past, so we remain today, regardless of who is conducting the violence. The international community established international courts for human rights to judge who is guilty and who carried out acts of crime. Their authority must be respected and strengthened and this position must be supported; justice must not be taken into one's own hands.


Photo: BOBO