TRADITIONAL PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, MILAN KUCAN, FOR MEMBERS OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC PRESS ON THE OCCASION OF SLOVENE NATIONAL DAY

Ljubljana, 21 June 2002


MILAN KUÈAN:
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome,

National Day is coming up and, as every year before that holiday, I am availing myself of the right to present my view of the Republic of Slovenia.
Let me point out at the very beginning that to my mind Slovenia is a successful country. It has undertaken the necessary political, social and economic reforms under its own steam and in accordance with the expectations we had for our country at the plebiscite. Today it performs as a desirable and serious partner in the international community. It is still a young country, preserving its wisdom from the days of its gaining independence, to which it is adding new experiences and an understanding of the contemporary world. It knows what it can do on its own and what it can only do by forging alliances in the Europe of today and of tomorrow, in the global world of today and of tomorrow. Most of all, however, it knows - as it knew eleven years ago - that no one will do anything in its place.

Besides what I have already mentioned I should like to take this opportunity to present and underline the following:

1.
Slovenia is actively keeping track of the changes in the world and is responding to these changes. It is aware that we are living in an interdependent world and it knows that the world also needs to hear the thoughts and voices of small states in order to better understand its totality.

Slovenia has been proving that for over eleven years now. Throughout this time it has succeeded in recognising the historic trends of the world. It is
successfully recognising opportunities in these trends. This is a success also recognised by others. That is why they listen to Slovenia's assessments
not only concerning South Eastern Europe, as was the case at the beginning of our country's independent life, but instead also lend an ear to our assessments of European integration processes, the processes of recognising the image of a global world, recognising global responsibility, the need for global governance and for an ethical base to such governance. Ten years have one by since the international recognition of Slovenia. In this time our country has responsibly fulfilled its obligations within the international community and towards the international community. It did so with particular success during its tenure in the Security Council of the United Nations. Through its initiatives and activities in South Eastern Europe Slovenia also bore its share of responsibility in peacekeeping operations.

2.
Slovenia firmly believes that EU enlargement is an historical interest of the old continent. We are allies to all those who share that belief and who are striving for that interest. We are convinced that enlargement is good for Europeans, that it is good for Europe's role in a global world. It is good for the economy, for business, it is good for the people and for development in the world and it is also good for Europe's influence and responsibility in the world.

We Slovenes as a society and as a country have undergone profound internal social transformation. We did so on our own, without help from the outside.
Like other Central European nations we invested a great amount of our energy in order to enable the enlargement of a Europe of prosperity, development
and peace, in order to enable the expansion of values stemming from the European civilisational heritage, values that were so savagely annihilated by the three wars of the past century, by the block divisions, which Central Europe itself was experiencing in the most dramatic of forms, and by political systems that were built on totalitarian ideologies of the twentieth century.

That is our success. We too should recognise that success ourselves and have greater confidence. This confidence is what we are still lacking, as if we
were unable or fearful of living with success.

We are now successfully concluding our preparations for EU accession. The negotiations have unveiled great differences among the candidate countries,
especially in terms of economic development. This not only in relation to EU member states, there are also great differences between the candidates
themselves. For this reason Slovenia expects individual treatment of the candidates, which, in our opinion, would allow both Slovenia's and the EU's
expectations to be met and would allow for the required level of solidarity and greater cohesion in the EU after enlargement.

3.
Slovenia is actively participating in the Convention on the Future of Europe or of the European Union, which is going to have a decisive impact on the
future of Europe as a whole. If the Convention wants to come up with good solutions it must first consider the realities of Europe and of the world, as well as its own desired role in such a world. Then also the institutional solutions, the manner and levels of decision-making in the EU would serve
that desired role for Europe in the world.

The Convention will certainly also have a decisive impact on the future of Slovenia. As a sovereign, independent state we now have an opportunity for the first time to partake in the shaping of our own future within the future of Europe. If we want to actively and creatively contribute to the work of the Convention then we ourselves must first have a clear idea of what our own future should be, how we imagine the future of Europe and what role and position we see for Slovenia in that future Europe.

The final stages of negotiations with the EU are running in parallel with the work of the Convention. These negotiations on the most demanding financial conditions also witness the surfacing of real interests. National interests are on the move, and perfectly legitimate national egotisms are at play. There are no more illusions now. We are facing the realities and the pragmatism of the EU. We wish to be successful in these negotiations and we have every possibility of doing so.

We shall have to negotiate patiently, but no further than the limits of our genuine, I might even say existential interests. This is where our confidence will be put to the test and these negotiations are where our abilities are put to the test. I believe that the EU will stick to its own decisions and agreements, as well as deadlines, in order for us to conclude the negotiations on time and with success, in order then for Slovenia to become an EU member in 2004 and to take part in the European Parliament elections that same year.

4.
We Slovenes accept the great challenges of the future. We have been accepting them ever since the mid eighties and we continue to accept them now that the profound and fast changes in the global world generate new dilemmas and questions which no one is able to respond to clearly.

Among the crucial issues today is the question of global responsibility and within that the question of security. Security can no longer be assured unilaterally. It can only be assured within democratic alliances since modern threats reach beyond the borders of individual states. These threats are becoming transcontinental, even global or universal if you will.

That is why the state of Slovenia is intensively preparing for accession to NATO. It has seriously studied also other options, alternatives. It turned out, however, that there are no sound alternatives. That is why we opted for active participation in the Euro-Atlantic alliance with the aim of securing our sovereignty, identity and security within NATO. As NATO members we then wish to seek out a new role for NATO in a changed world together with the other members, to deliberate on its future, the development of defence, security and foreign-policy functions and instruments of the EU, as well as on future relations between NATO and the EU. But that is already something done in a safe world, a world ensured by a collective alliance.

Peace and security are indivisible in a global world. I should like to particularly emphasise that. No one is absolved from their responsibility for that peace and security as that would pose a threat to themselves and to others. There is no space for short-sighted national interests in a modern world. Neutrality is also not an option. Declaring neutrality is a position that is unfortunately blind to the realities of our contemporary world. The dangers threatening the security of people and states in today's world neither allow nor acknowledge neutrality.

5.
Slovenia has and will continue to accept its share of the responsibility and concern for good and fruitful relations among the former Yugoslav states. It also accepts responsibility for appeasing the situation in South Eastern Europe. It cannot however take on other countries' responsibilities. It offers proposals and compromise solutions. It cannot however cross the line of its own national interests in doing so.

Slovenia is involved in the solving of questions which remain open since the time of the dissolution of the former Yugoslav federation, questions concerning the legacy of that country, seeking ways for the stabilisation of this region of Europe, for the development of economic and other forms of cooperation. It cannot, however, replace the responsibility of the international community. In principle Slovenia enjoys sound relations with all countries that emerged from the former Yugoslavia. Now, following the recent visit of a Government delegation to Belgrade this is also the case with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We are developing economic and other forms of cooperation with all of these countries. We favour a comprehensive view of the Balkans, of South Western Balkans, as well as a comprehensive solution for the political future of the Balkans. All European countries will have to take responsibility for that future. We believe that
the Western Balkans are a security and political problem of the entire Europe, not just of one of its parts, let alone is it just a problem of the Western Balkans themselves.

6.
Slovenia is pursuing sound relations with its neighbours. These relations are good and friendly. Any open issues with our neighbours are resolved through open and continued political dialogue based on mutual respect and trust. Slovenia thus does not burden the international community with these issues and does not pose a threat to security on our continent.

In our relations with Croatia this dialogue is not continual, although that would be most normal in light of the weight of the questions remaining open for several years now, our common path towards independence and the identical objectives shared by both countries in terms of their international positioning or their positioning in the international arena. Instead these unresolved issues increasingly burden our bilateral relations, they give rise to new problems and erode the credibility of both countries. They also affect our mutual trust, which is difficult to re-establish. It is therefore necessary to continue with this dialogue from that point at which solutions have come to a halt. Slovenia is striving for that and is also proposing a continuation of such dialogue.

7.
Towards the end of its transition process Slovenia is projecting a relatively good image at macro level, although it also exhibits a fair amount of dissatisfaction at micro level. People have to stand in line not only to pay for their lottery tickets to win the millions that are waiting there, but they also have to queue in front of government offices, heaps of bureaucratic forms, they queue outside employment offices and social welfare offices.

The future task of politics as I see it is to bring its own satisfaction with macro results in line with the expectations of the people, to bring the needs of the state in line with the realistic possibilities of the Slovene economy, and to look at the state through the eyes of the individual once again.

The Human Development Report can serve as a useful tool to government policy in this respect. This report places Slovenia high in 27th place in the world
in terms of quality of life, but it also very convincingly points out certain deficiencies that reduce that quality of life in Slovenia.

8.
Slovenia knows what the deficiencies are. It also knows how to dispel them. Sooner or later it shall exhibit sufficient political will to do away with these deficiencies.

Slovenia remains true to the values that guided the birth of our country. That is why it is a stable, democratic country. Most importantly these values are deeply anchored among the Slovenes, among the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia, and will continue to serve as the guiding principles of this country in the future. These values and their deep roots are also confirmed year after year by public opinion surveys.

This year's autumn elections, particularly the presidential ones, will bring change to the political arena. They will not, however, affect the successful implementation of the objectives Slovenia has set out to achieve upon independence and which it continually increases and expands in line with global changes and in line with its achievements. These elections also will not affect the solidity of the values which every political leadership charged and entrusted with governing Slovenia is and will remain committed to.

I am confident that Slovenia will be celebrating next year's National Day as a member of NATO and with completed negotiations on EU accession. Both NATO
membership and EU membership will no longer be an objective then but will only be an effective means of protecting and implementing Slovenia's fundamental existential and essential interests as well as its identity. It is therefore with optimism that I look into the future on this year's National Day, especially an optimism for Slovene political parties to exhibit sufficient political will to face some of the deficiencies and to find sufficient strength to dispel those deficiencies.
Thank you.

* * *

MARICA STERN KUSEJ, Radio 2 - Klagenfurt:
President Kucan, you mentioned that you are striving for sound relations with neighbouring states. Also the relations with the Republic of Austria have very much improved and become friendly since Slovenia's independence. Nevertheless it is precisely at this time that the situation concerning minority policy issues is very tense. Let me mention the handling of the issue of bilingual topographical signs in light of the judgment of the Constitutional Court and of the most recent news that, as it seems, the government or rather Austrian Radio and Television is to cancel the all-day Slovenian language programme. What can Slovenia do in this respect as a protector of the Slovene national minority in Austrian Carinthia or how can it perform its role of protector?

MILAN KUCAN:
The Republic of Austria is a state governed by the rule of law. The status of minorities, particularly of the Slovene minority, is secured by the Austrian State Treaty, the Austrian Constitution and by international documents signed and ratified by the Republic of Austria. I believe in the rule of law in that country and I also believe that what the Republic of Austria committed itself to will be implemented through legal channels as well. What remains for Slovenia is its role, opportunity and responsibility to pursue the interests and status of its minority through good relations with the Republic of Austria and to resort to international instruments if that proves necessary. To date it has turned out that all these issues can be resolved through dialogue as they appear. As for the Carinthian radio,
which you are specifically asking about, here the argument that is constantly being tabled is the economic one as far as I know. In other words that there are not sufficient funds available, that the programme is too expensive, etc. My position, also as regards the status of minorities in Slovenia, is that the equality of minorities, their rights and the protection of these rights, which a democratic country is in pursuit of, cannot be measured in terms of money. Once you begin measuring these things in money then you undermine the democratic nature of a society and of a state. I read in the paper today an argument put forward by one of the Carinthian politicians, that he was expecting greater solidarity from the Slovene minority, which is demanding more and more rights while its numbers are
decreasing. I would only add that one should first ask why there is a decreasing number of Slovenes in Carinthia. Only then could one accept a discussion about this kind of argumentation.

KATJA SERUGA, VECER:
Mr President, could you please comment the report by the international journalists' association, particularly in the part concerning the Petek case. I would like to know whether you have already received a letter from this association. That same letter was also dispatched to other addressees around Europe. Do you believe this letter could in any way harm Slovenia's reputation in Brussels on the one hand and could it contribute to finally closing the Petek case on the other hand?

MILAN KUCAN:
I have already received the letter, as have others. You know that well. The letter was written based on an investigation or a visit by a delegate of this international press association to Slovenia. As to the Petek case. Let me first of all say that the beating of any citizen of Slovenia is a criminal act and that the authorities are obliged to investigate and find the perpetrators. It is no different in the Petek case. Only when you have the perpetrators can you find out what the motivation behind that act was. Of course, since this case concerns a journalist, someone who on behalf of the public supervises the authorities, the authorities also have a duty to provide for the security of journalists who are doing their work. This in turn also demands a professional approach to their work on the part of journalists themselves. When this case happened I requested the competent authorities to deal with it with particular sensitivity since it is about a journalist and I also asked them to keep me posted on developments. Where do I see the problem? The problem emerged when representatives of the police stated about a year ago I think that they are on the trail of the perpetrators. The public and myself got the impression that the perpetrators are practically known and that the case will soon be closed. Since nothing has happened since, there is plenty of room for thinking that someone had intervened and that the procedure was stopped. If this letter - together with my appeals and the appeals of others who have greater responsibility for law enforcement authorities than I myself do formally - would contribute to accelerating the investigation and finally finding out what actually happened, then this letter is certainly welcome.

PETER JANCIC, VECER:
Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek has now announced that he might resign in the autumn in order to start with the presidential campaign. What is your estimate of this announcement? From the perspective of national interest such a change at this time could cause some problems, wouldn't you agree? Since you will also be appointing a successor...

MILAN KUCAN:
Well, I won't be appointing a successor, I will propose a new Prime Minister designate as required by the Constitution and other regulations and as I have always done to date. The decision will of course be one to be freely made by Dr Drnovsek. I believe that as far as our fundamental interests and tasks are concerned things are so strongly rooted that this change could not have a considerable influence. Except of course if one was to give in to the temptation that everything in this country depends on one or two people.

MOJCA PASEK - TV SLOVENIA:
Since we're talking about presidential elections, there are also other candidates alongside Dr Drnovsek. What is your comment as to your possible successors from this point of view? Could you say anything about them already?

MILAN KUCAN:
Well, regarding this change I must also say that it is not about finding a successor. Every person in this office will be unique. None of them will carry on my work. I view this issue of presidential elections just as I did at the first and second election. The more candidates there are the better. The better they are able to present their views, their programmes, their projects, the easier it will be for the voters to decide who they will entrust with this function, which - as you well know, since you have written a lot about this - is one of moral rather than real power and has at its disposal more moral rather than real levers of political strength.

VLADO ZAGORAC, VECERNJI LIST:
Mr President, you mentioned that ten years ago Slovenia achieved international recognition. It achieved that recognition also on the basis of documents such as the declaration of good intentions and the constitutional charter, which did not even hint at any sort of segregation. Today, ten years on, Slovene citizens who were born outside the former Republic of Slovenia are issued passports where they are stigmatised as Slovenes born outside Slovenia. Those citizens born in Slovenia are not branded this way. In practice this means that they face problems when in contact with the police, either the Slovene police or the police of other countries. How do you explain this, especially from the perspective of democratisation and equality of the people? Thank you.

MILAN KUCAN:
This certainly does not speak highly of the reputation of Slovenia as a democratic and tolerant country. You know that the Constitutional Court had decided twice already on this issue an that the competent authorities that are responsible for implementing the decision of the Constitutional Court are, to put it mildly, somewhat hesitant at completing the task at hand. My position on this is that there is no reason for segregation. Also the issue of the estimated 40,000 people who are allegedly not recorded in the register of permanent residents should be resolved by amending the necessary legislation. We know who is obliged and competent for the proposal of such laws and who is then also responsible for their implementation.

VLADO ZAGORAC, VECERNJI LIST:
If I may add, we are not speaking of the same issue. We were speaking of passports.

MILAN KUCAN:
We are talking about issues that are very much interrelated. They are not completely the same issues formally, but they demonstrate the same attitude
towards people who at that time did not take care of their citizenship status, it is about people who were born outside Slovenia. Formally this is not the same question, but in substance it is so.

VLADO ZAGORAC, VECERNJI LIST:
I was speaking of people who have the status of Slovenian citizens but they are issued passports where their place of birth is marked as CRO, or BIH Sarajevo. For those born in Slovenia their passports do not read 'place of birth SLO Ljubljana' or SLO Crnuce, or Crnomelj or whatever else. This is the category I was discussing. They are now being issued passports that are in line with European regulations and where they are stigmatised. Their passports bear special markings in contrast to those citizens born in Slovenia.

MILAN KUCAN:
I must say that I was not familiar with this problem. If this is what the case is then my position is perfectly clear: even if there are such markings in the passports then this could be no basis for discrimination, let alone segregation not to mention problems on borders. I will certainly look into it, however.

NADJA PODOBNIK, STA:
Mr President, earlier we spoke of elections and about there being a new president. I would like to know whether you have already formulated any specific decision as to your future career?

MILAN KUCAN:
Politics is an activity, it is not a profession that has a strict beginning and an end, with retirement, say. I am certainly looking to the future. Not in terms of my career, but I will certainly be glad to offer my views or my advice if the future leaders of this country entrusted with governing the state will ask me for it. Otherwise I will be doing other things.

TOMAZ NATLACEN, DELO:
Mr President, I would like to touch on NATO. I would like to know whether NATO, such as its, with the current balance of power and strength, has any
future? At the same time I would also ask what the new American doctrine means for world security. Thank you.

MILAN KUCAN:
Well, as for now NATO is still around. As to its future only the future will tell. What is important for us is whether we will be discussing this together, as part of NATO, together with the other allies, or will we be faced with accomplished facts, including our security, decided by others. As to how much our voice will count, which could also be a question, that will depend on our argumentation, on how convincing we are, as has been the case in the past. As far as I can say that voice usually had greater weight than the bare physical weight of Slovenia. What the new doctrine is? Well this doctrine has been adopted in extraordinary circumstances. The United States have also had different doctrines in the past. Not even so long ago. And they will have different doctrines in the future as well.

EMIL LUKANCIC MORI, Morel Press Agency:
Mr President, earlier you mentioned that people have to stand in line not only to pay for their lottery tickets, but that they also have to queue outside government institutions, employment offices. You did not mention that they also have to queue for justice. We know that the judiciary and law enforcement agencies have done nothing in recent high-profile cases, let me put it this way. I would like to know how you view the work of the judiciary and of law enforcement agencies in the light of these scandals since I'm afraid that Slovenia might be turning into a country where crime pays?

MILAN KUCAN:
Firstly I wouldn't agree with you that nothing was done. Perhaps not enough was done or perhaps what was done was not done most adequately. Most importantly, these cases are not over. The fact that court backlogs are our most serious violation of human rights has been known for a long time.
Responses from the authorities that these backlogs are being reduced, that various programmes have been adopted, cannot be tolerated forever. In the
end, or rather before the end, we also need to ask about the adequacy of these answers, of the arguments underpinning these answers, and of course
about accountability for these arguments. As you know justice delayed for five, six, even ten years is justice denied.

MARICA STERN KUSEJ - Radio 2 - Klagenfurt:
May I once again raise the issue of minority policy and how it is understood by Austria. Mr President, earlier you stated that you believed in the rule of law in Austria, that rights are ensured according to the Austrian laws on the Slovenian national minority and that Slovenia, if necessary, would also resort to international legal instruments. When would you say the time would come to resort to that?

MILAN KUCAN:
This would certainly be the case if the fundamental rights and existential rights of the minority as a collective community and of the members of this
community would be violated. That is also why I said earlier that this is not the case as yet. Certain other rights, however, are threatened and they have a major influence on the presence of the minority's identity in this region which it has inhabited historically, where it still lives today and which enriched the culture and not least the economic strength of that region.

MARICA STERN KUSEJ - Radio 2 - Klagenfurt:
The Maribor daily Vecer reported on June 8 about an indigestible lunch - a luncheon held in Vienna where, as was reported, Federal Chancellor Schuessel
made an indecent proposal to the two representatives of the Slovene national minority whereby they should agree to 52 additional bilingual topographical signs, or else the all-day bilingual radio programme in Carinthia would be shut down. What about such prospects?

MILAN KUCAN:
I wouldn't know, I did not attend any such lunch. If I did then you would certainly know my answer already.