FORTUNATE TIMING OF THE VISIT PRIOR TO EU AND NATO ENLARGEMENT
Two-day official visit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr Johannes Rau
Joint press conference, transcript of President Kucan's statement

Ljubljana, 29 May 2002


Milan Kucan: Distinguished Mr President, Mrs Rau, Ladies and Gentlemen. An outstanding opportunity presents itself for Slovenia in the visit by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. The President of friendly Germany is a man who is a great friend of Slovenia's, a man favouring the expansion of European ethical and spiritual values across the entire European continent, an advocate of European Union enlargement, of NATO enlargement, and of pursuing Europe's responsibility for the global political, economic, social and security situation.

Germany is an economic, spiritual ad political giant. It is very important for Slovenia to have the possibility of continued and open dialogue with such an influential and reputable country enjoying so much respect around the world. It is important for Slovenia to understand that country's positions and at the same time to have the possibility of voicing its own positions, views and interests to an interlocutor of such import and reputation.

The timing of this visit is very fortunate. This is a time immediately preceding the decisions on the definite enlargement of the European Union, a time preceding the definite decisions on NATO enlargement. Slovenia fosters a vital interest in both of these enlargements. To date Slovenia has enjoyed the support of the FRG and is counting on that same support in the final stages to come and it is also counting on a partnership with Germany in the forthcoming period, when both countries will be members of these two large European integration structures, when they will be able to put forward joint initiatives conjointly with others on how to enable Europe to have political influence and political responsibility commensurate with its undisputed economic and spiritual strength and influence in today's world.

This visit offers an opportunity for discussions on the economic, social, political and in particular the security problems of our contemporary world. This is a world that first saw the globalisation of crime, followed by a multitude of other negative dimensions of globalisation, now slowly followed by the positive effects of globalisation. These should be accessible to all of mankind, based on the same values, on the foundation of a welfare market economy and human solidarity. This is a doctrine, a foundation successfully pursued by the Federal Republic of Germany for its own development.

The President and I have already discussed these issues and will discuss them further. We shared the opinion that all of these new developments bring in many novelties and also many concerns. The agreement signed yesterday between NATO and Russia is positive in this context and does not ensue Russia becoming or thinking of becoming a NATO member state. It represents a qualitative change in the world. It also represents a new challenge for Europe, a need to rethink its position in the newly emerged situation.

To Slovenia Germany is not only one of the most important, but THE most important economic partner in terms of both quality and quantity. Not only in terms of trade, but also in technological and other aspects. All this illustrates Slovenia's great interest in fostering good, friendly and continued cooperation with Germany.

I find it particularly worthy of noting that the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, President Rau, who is visiting Slovenia, is a man with a successful career behind him, a career that is the foundation for the great trust the German people place in him. He is continuing the intellectual and spiritual mission of his predecessors whom I had the opportunity of working with. I am referring to Richard von Weizsäcker and Roman Herzog, Chancellor Kohl and before him Chancellor Schmidt. These are people who were not only the flag bearers of the European idea, but were themselves committed Europeans who understood that there is no other way but for the Europe of confrontation to transform into a Europe of cooperation and mutual respect. Not only in order to make life in Europe bearable, but also in order to prevent Europe from drifting to the margins of world events after the world had become multi polar and after the end of the cultural and spiritual influence Europe had on the world for the last five hundred years of the past millennium.

Today's Germany is a country of solid democratic foundations. This is also due to the fact that more than any other country in Europe it was capable of overcoming the dark sides of its past and was therefore capable of setting the basic criteria of a new European history of peace, cooperation and development. It is a country that is a fervent advocate and also a factor of European reconciliation, an advocate and an example of the ability of living with the past for the sake of the future. To a large extent Germans and Slovenes have trodden that path together. The success of this path is something for which we should thank those people who led and who are now leading Germany which was capable of sufficient wisdom to grasp its responsibility for Europe and for the world and who made sure that Slovenia got its place in Germany's sphere of interest on the European continent.

As a sign of endeavours for reconciliation and living with the past for the sake of the future, President Rau will lay a reef at a cemetery of Slovenes who perished for freedom in Word War II, and at a cemetery of German soldiers who died in Slovenian lands during World War II. I see it as my duty to accompany the President in this act of reconciliation and appeasement, in this grand human act of respectful memory.
Thank you.

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Question from Reuters: I would like to ask Mr Kucan what concrete results he expects from the Central European presidential summit? Thank you.
Question from ARD: Why wasn't Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro, invited to attend the Central European Summit?
...

Milan Kucan: The Meetings of Presidents of Central European States do not yield spectacular results. Their basic purpose is a general mutual exchange of views on the most topical issues Europe and the world are facing, with the aim of getting to know one another's positions stemming from the different situations and positions of individual countries, also from the different distances from membership in European integration structures. It is on this basis that mutual trust is created, allowing the presidents, none of whom have any far reaching official competences, to open the door and pave the way for concrete action in international relations which confirm this trust, good cooperation and mutual understanding.

If I myself were to decide then I would invite the President of Montenegro to this meeting because I believe that in two years time, when the two year period or moratorium is over, Belgrade and Podgorica will have to decide on the future of these two states. I myself have no second thoughts about this, but inviting new participants is always a matter of agreement among all presidents and I stuck to that agreement. The decision last year was to invite the sixteen presidents who are arriving at Bled and Brdo the day after tomorrow.