MANY YEARS OF GOOD COOPERATION WITH AUSTRIAN STYRIA
Meeting with the Landeshauptmann of Austrian Styria , Dr. Waltraud Klasnic Statement by the President of the Republic of Slovenia for Radio Slovenia

Ljubljana, 8 September 1999



MILAN KUCAN
Our talks concerned cooperation between Slovenia and Styria. I see Slovenia's cooperation with the two bordering Länder in the context of Slovenia's overall relations with the Republic of Austria also because our relations with the Republic of Austria would not be as good as they are if they weren't based on the good relations that were being built earlier, prior to Slovenia's independence.

The discussion could not omit certain open issues in the relations between the two states, i.e. the manner in which these issues are discussed in the pre-election period in Austria. I firmly believe - as I told madam Landeshauptmann as well as President Klestil in Vienna - that the porcelain we made in the years of good gradual cooperation, accompanied by a large measure of mutual trust, is too brittle for reckless moves to break it in the pre-election period, which is somewhat different from normal life, for even if it were glued back together later it would no longer be as beautiful or sturdy as this porcelain otherwise is.

I showed my understanding for Austria's interest both in the nuclear power plant and in the cultural agreement which also discusses German-speaking citizens of the Republic of Slovenia. Without entering into internal affairs, I said that in view of the manner in which these issues are discussed within pre-election relations in the Republic of Austria requires us to take two matters into account, that there are two thresholds. The first is the fact that Slovenia is a sovereign state and that interference in its internal affairs cannot pass without consequences. The second threshold or limit is the truth. Manipulations or the exploitation of untruths, especially concerning the nuclear power plant and its safety and technology - which recently even occurred among Austria's highest representatives - does not contribute to the effective implementation of the two states' vital interest regarding the Krsko nuclear power plant, that is to ensure the highest level of safety of operation, thus reducing the risk of failure to a minimum. This is currently being ensured for the plant by way of constant control and reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency based in Vienna.

Reporter Marjan VESLIGAJ
Mister President, would you qualify the statements made by Chancellor Klima and the earlier statements by the Carinthian Landeshauptmann Haider as a certain interference in Slovenia's internal affairs?

MILAN KUCAN
As regards the nuclear power plant, I don't really think that it's interference, but rather the use of some adapted facts and even untruths. The power plant employs western, American technology, except for the new condensers, which are compatible with this technology and are made by Germany's Siemens and are just now being transported by Austrians. As regards seismic safety, additional studies are currently under way. It is an incontestable fact that there is no safer power plant in Europe in terms of seismic safety. The power plants themselves are quite similar, but the experts state that this one is the safest. Besides, it is also unusual that the apple of discord is this very power plant - I am omitting power plants using eastern technology in Slovakia and elsewhere, which may perhaps be more controversial in terms of safety. But there are power plants using western technology on Austria's western borders as well, in Switzerland and in Germany. Inevitably one asks oneself where this discriminatory approach towards Slovenia and its nuclear power plant stems from, while such power plants are not discussed under the same criteria. Atomic energy, nuclear power plants are an objective danger and we oversee the safety of this power plant first and foremost out of our responsibility for our people and ,of course, also with a feeling of great responsibility to the citizens and states in the direct vicinity and whom this plant could put in danger. Just like, for example, our people are constantly in danger due to the dam on the Feistritz, which constitutes a great threat to the people living in the Drava valley all the way to Maribor. What could constitute an interference in internal affairs, though, since Slovenia's accession to or membership in the European Union is being linked to it, is the demand, which is purely political, politicised and does not concern Chancellor Klima, that Slovenia must amend its constitution and provide for a special status and protection for the so-called German or old-Austrian minority in Slovenia. This undoubtedly is something that could be qualified as it was by yourself.

Reporter VESLIGAJ
Did the Landeshauptmann perhaps link these issues to Slovenia's accession to the European Union?

MILAN KUCAN
No, by no means. The issues of the cultural agreement and of the German minority were never raised by the Land's government - at least not to my knowledge. There was talk of the nuclear power plant, mainly of the understandable interest of Styria and the Landeshauptmann personally to be informed of any extraordinary events at the nuclear plant. Slovenia has a duty to provide this not only in communication with Vienna, but also with all interested Länder and their governments. She also in no way linked the discussion concerning the nuclear power plant and the aspect of informing to Slovenia's accession to the European Union. Styria has a direct interest
in having an EU member as its southern neighbour. This concerns the Schengen border, a whole range of other issues which are dealt with differently, which have different effects and to which a different system of values applies if these are countries/states living within the same system than if in one way or another borders and divisions are being put up which already brought a lot of misfortune to the people on both sides of the border in the past.