VISIT TO SLOVENIA IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
Official visit of the members of the Presidency of Bosnia - Herzegovina to Slovenia
Statements by President of the Republic of Slovenia at the joint press conference

Ljubljana, Presidential Palace, 18 October 1999



Milan KUCAN
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I received the members of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Slovenia today, Mr Jelavic, Mr Izetbegovic and Mr Radisic, as it was also with pleasure that I invited them to Slovenia on occasion of the Pact of Stability summit in Sarajevo end of July. It is also a pleasure to welcome the Ministers, members of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina. My invitation was friendly and was based on interests, and such were our talks – open and very concrete.

The fact that this is a first visit of its kind in this formal composition – having the entire presidency visit a friendly country – conveys two important messages. One of them relates to our mutual relations. The visit is an accolade to Slovenia's consistent and principled attitude, continually supporting the right of the peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina to their own sovereign and independent state within the integral boundaries of consistency that was based on the presumption that Bosnia-Herzegovina has three equal constituent nations having the right and obligation to find, on their own, a model to lead the country in the way they find to be the most democratic and rational. It is also an accolade to all the support that such a Bosnia-Herzegovina enjoyed from Slovenia in international organisations, including the United Nations Security Council. It is an accolade for receiving refugees, for Slovenia's donations to the development and stabilisation of economic and social life in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as for the work and the ever growing number of donators to the International Troust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance In Bosnia-Herzegovina which contributed to a high extent to the normalisation of life in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

On the other hand visit to Slovenia is an important message to the world. A message saying that Bosnia-Herzegovina is a country that is living an ever more peaceful “post-Dayton” life. This visit is taking place immediately following NATO's intervention in Kosovo. This intervention did not destabilise Bosnia-Herzegovina, which leads to the conclusion that BiH is transforming from a state that was itself one of the reasons behind instability in Southeast Europe into a state that can contribute to the stability of SE Europe together with others, with the international community, under the condition that a transparent concept will emerge as soon as possible as to what kind of political future the international community wants and expects for the Balkans. Without long-term stability in the entire region, its individual parts could again be destabilised, including Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Today, Bosnia-Herzegovina isn't dealing just with questions of peace and war and how to do away with the consequences of war, but is increasingly also dealing with transition processes, where the experience of Slovenia, as a transition country emerging from the same socio-economic and political environment as Bosnia-Herzegovina – I am thinking of the former Yugoslav environment here – could prove very useful, more useful than the experience of transition countries who don't come from such an environment. There is also Slovenia's experience in approximation and accession to European integration’s, especially the Council of Europe and the European Union. This experience could also prove valuable for BiH in view of its ambitions, and Slovenia is prepared to help BiH with this experience, provided there is an interest from its part.

As regards bilateral co-operation, we are dealing with a co-operation between two states with virtually the same interests, economic interests being at the forefront. It was reiterated once again, as in all previous meetings – be they official or unofficial – that the key problem in economic co-operation remains the great trade deficit on the Bosnian-Herzegovina side. The interest of both countries is to refrain from reducing the deficit by limiting trade, instead trying to balance it out through other, more demanding, higher forms of economic co-operation, especially by promoting investment into Bosnia-Herzegovina by Slovenian enterprises. This, however, requires legal security. That is why the two agreements under preparation are so important: an agreement on the protection of investments and an agreement on issues relating to property-law. An aggravating circumstance is the unresolved issue of Ljubljanska Banka, for which one cannot say that it is just an open question seven years after independence. A solution must be found, making room for the property-law agreement like the one we were able to secure with the Republic of Croatia a few days ago thanks to the efforts of both governments.

The fact that Slovenia wishes to enhance economic co-operation is supported by the possibility of duty-free import of industrial products from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Slovenia, by the Slovenian Export Corporation's loan scheme for doing business in Bosnia-Herzegovina, by the models that have been prepared for resolving the Ljubljanska Banka issue, by the negotiations of the two aforementioned agreements having made significant progress, and, last but not least, by the fact that Slovenia is the country that is opening and is helping open Bosnia-Herzegovina's path to the Council of Europe, in line with its interests and principles.

One of the common areas of activity is the fight against organised crime, against corruption, illegal drug and arms trafficking. We expect a direct benefit from the co-operation in this field also due to the Schengen requirements. I believe that this is also one of the areas of joint action under the Stability Pact which, broadly speaking, is resolving or looking for answers to some of the most important questions on which the long-term stability of Southeast Europe depends. I am speaking here of the round tables under the Stability Pact – the round table on democracy, human rights and minorities. The latter are a question we all are facing, including BiH. There is also the round table on economic projects recently held in Bari. The Oslo round table focuses on the issue of organised crime. It will also have to go beyond the present issues in the Balkans and find answers for Europe in facing this disease of the modern world which, put in perspective, could destabilise European life even more than war

The gentlemen of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina will hold talks with the Prime Minister in the afternoon, where they expect to get concrete answers to their questions. Tomorrow a bilateral agreement on education and co-operation in the field of culture is being signed. Thank you very much.


Question - Radio BiH
How does Slovenia view the recent success and more specifically the statements made by the right-wing populist Haider in neighbouring Austria and his future steps?

Milan KUCAN
I have already commented on the position of the Carinthian Landeshauptmann and the president of the Austrian Freedom Party. I see no particular reason to give him additional publicity. I think one shouldn't enter into serious polemics on a man living in Europe's past, as he proved by saying that Carinthia was organising the Olympics together with a country that was its enemy in the past.

Question - DELO
What do Slovenian models regarding Ljubljanska Banka pertain to?

Milan KUCAN
Slovenian models are a matter for the Slovenian Government and its position will be presented by Mr Drnovsek and his ministers at separate talks with the members of the Presidency and the Council of Ministers.


Photo: BOBO


Photo: BOBO