PROPOSED TREATY IS A BALANCE OF VITAL AND HISTORICAL INTERESTS
Statement by President Kucan following talks with Croatia's President Stipe Mesic

Zagreb (Croatia), 27 November 2001

On invitation from President Stjepan Mesic, President Milan Kucan departed on a two-day official visit to Croatia. Alongside talks with his host, President Mesic, President Kucan also met with Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan, the Speaker of the Croatian Sabor Zlatko Tomcic, Chairman of the Democratic Centre, Sabor MP and Chairman of the European Affairs Committee Dr Mate Granic, as well as the Chairman of the opposition HDZ and Vice-Chairman of the Sabor Foreign Policy Committee Dr Ivo Sanadar. President Milan Kucan also addressed the deputies of the Croatian Sabor.

President Mesic conferred Croatia's highest state decoration for foreign dignitaries on President Kucan, the Grand Order of King Tomislav.

As part of his visit to Zagreb, President Kucan also visited the Valvasor Library and graphic art collection kept in the Metropolitan Library of the Zagreb Archbishopry. Accompanied by the Mayor of Zagreb, Milan Bandic, the President toured Zagreb’s old town centre and paid a visit to the Slovene Club, where he met with Slovenes living in Croatia.

I am glad to be on this state visit to the friendly Republic of Croatia and also that President Mesic made it possible for me to hold talks with the most reputable and influential Croatian leaders as part of my visit: Speaker of Parliament Tomcic, Prime Minister Racan and representatives of the Croatian opposition. I am convinced that these talks will be as frank as they had always been in the past and that they will demonstrate how very important our mutual relations are.

I am arriving here a decade into the life of an independent Republic of Slovenia and an independent Croatia. In these ten years our relations have seen their ups and downs, as well as their standstills, especially at times when we valued the significance of our alliance and partnership differently. Whenever these relations were at a low point it proved to be detrimental for both Croatia and Slovenia. Now our relations are at a very high level, better than ever before in these ten years. I find this to be of greatest importance for our future.

I come to Croatia in confirmation of Slovenia's readiness to foster the best possible relations and strengthen the friendship that has grown to become traditional in these ten years. I also come to explore the possibilities and willingness to resolve the issues that remain the mortgage and historical legacy of our former life in the common Yugoslav state.

I regret that that the most demanding item of our relations, that is the treaty on the definition of borders, which the governments of our two countries have concluded and proposed, has come to a standstill. I am convinced that the proposed treaty is a balance of the vital and historical interests of both states. It is a good compromise, one that is oriented into the future. It is also a good compromise since it leaves aside the debate and the negotiations regarding the land border. Such a debate would namely give way to political and administrative historical argumentation as well as ethical historical argumentation that would have us wound up in endless discussions. I therefore believe that we need to propose to the governments of both countries to come to an agreement on how to continue and conclude the process of adopting this treaty. I am convinced, and that is also the willingness of the Slovenian Government, that regardless of the time required for the treaty to be adopted and ratified by the two parliaments, we continue resolving the remaining open issues, such as the nuclear [power
plant] treaty and the debt of Ljubljanska Banka, as well as the issues life brings along, in order for these not to burden Slovenia's and Croatia's common process of integration into the European and global future.

My talks with President Mesic have again strengthened my belief that the adoption of this treaty would bring a lot of good to both countries. Firstly, it would liberate us from the burden of history and enable us to conclude negotiations on succession to the erstwhile common state. Secondly, it would demonstrate our European inclination, our ability to solve problems in accordance with the rules and principles of the European Union and NATO, where both of our countries have long belonged in my firm opinion. Furthermore, it would demonstrate that we do not intend to burden other countries with our problems; that we do not wish to pose a threat to European peace and security as the fundamental values of our continent. On the contrary, it would demonstrate that we understand the signs of our times and the nature of the world as was brutally demonstrated by the events of September 11th in New York and Washington. In this global world we wish to
carry our share of the responsibility and take part in the dialogue on the world's future governance. It would also demonstrate, that we sincerely want to be partners in a European Union which Slovenia is realistically expected to enter by the 2004 elections into the European Parliament. It would demonstrate that we, together, are prepared to implement the international treaties that the former Yugoslavia concluded and which are of particular importance for Slovenia and Croatia. I am first and foremost referring to the Paris Peace Treaty, the Osimo Treaties and the Austrian State Treaty. Finally, it would also demonstrate our willingness to take part in the search for a long-term solution for peace and stability in South-Eastern Europe.

Both governments have invested a great amount of effort in making it possible for us to now be thinking about these issues and about a common approach and the realisation of Slovenia's and Croatia's interests. I understand that there are problems with the border treaty. There are problems in Slovenia and there are problems in Croatia. I am not supportive of thinking in the direction of what one gains, what the other loses and who gives in to whom. I support thinking in the direction of what we all gain. We all gain security, peace, stability, common development and prosperity.

This is consistent with the position we enacted on 25 June 1991 when Slovenia and Croatia mutually recognised one another within their existing land borders. We knew then that in pursuing a greater end we needed to sacrifice a lesser one. I think that this same logic should be applied now.

As already mentioned, it is important for me that the governments therefore continue with their efforts to resolve any remaining issues. That they resolve the issues that life brings along, although I am aware that the unresolved border issue represents a major problem and will objectively have an impact on our future relations. However, I believe that compared to the great questions faced by Europe and the world, questions that fundamentally affect the status and the future of both Slovenia and Croatia, our issues lose out on gravity. I will be glad and will personally see my visit here as s success if I return to Ljubljana with that same belief.