SLOVENIA'S POSITION REGARDING INCIDENTS AT SEA PRESENTED BY FOREIGN MINISTER
Communicating positions through the media cannot replace responsible dialogue
Answers to reporters' questions prior to receiving Simon Peres

Bled, 21 August 2002



Question: How would you comment the statement by Croatian President Mesic that someone on the Slovene side is supposedly inciting these incidents before the elections?

MILAN KUCAN: On Monday our Foreign Minister Dr Rupel held a press conference where he presented Slovenia's positions and Slovenia's proposals for resolving these problems, which are by no means simple. I see no need for myself, or anyone else for that matter, to repeat the position stated by our Minister or to comment on that position. This is our joint position and that, I believe, should suffice.

I believe, however, that daily statements and comments as to these events are of no help in resolving the problems, instead only pouring more oil onto the fire. Slovenia has not done so and I see no need for us to mimick or even take on such practices. There also seems to be no consideration of the fact that the window of opportunity for finding a solution is becoming increasingly narrow.

I believe that communicating our positions across the border through the media cannot replace a serious and responsible dialogue between the two countries. It cannot replace talks such as were proposed by the Prime Minister, it cannot replace talks that the sheer weight of the problem demands, talks that would be undertaken by any responsible and credible policy.

Question: What about the statement by Croatian Foreign Minister Picula that Croatia supports arbitration, but only as regards the border at sea, not the land border?

MILAN KUCAN: I would not like to step into the same trap I spoke of earlier, that is to comment commentaries. There was talk of arbitration during my official visit to Zagreb. Arbitration cannot be denied in principle, although it does bear some witness to a policy's lack of credibility. In its essence arbitration is but an alibi. It bears witness to the fact that a polity is not capable and willing to assume responsibility in the face of its own public. At that time in Zagreb I said - and that is why I am answering this question - that if there is to be arbitration, then such arbitration should concern the border as a whole, not only the border at sea.

Question: There obviously seems to be no end to these incidents. This afternoon councillor Josko Joras was arrested. What is your assessment, your view of this complication?

MILAN KUCAN: Certainly these kind of incidents benefit no-one and do not contribute to the resolution of problems. Surely anyone doing this will first and foremost be held accountable in front of their own public and eventually also the international public. As for now, no information has been released as to why this happened.