SLOVENIA IS IN ALL ASPECTS CREDIBLE PARTNER FOR THE EURO-ATLANTIC ALLIANCE
Heralding the Prague summit as one of change, the president of Slovenia tells TOL how enlargement will benefit the NATO alliance.
by Jeremy Druker

Prague (Czech Republic), 21 November 2002

TOL: Why do you think NATO should invite Slovenia into the alliance?

Slovenian President Milan Kucan: I suppose the most credible explanation of the reasons could be given by the member states that are issuing the invitation, but I presume that Slovenia in all aspects--political, economic, defense, and security, and also in terms of its values--can be a credible partner for the Euro-Atlantic alliance. And it can contribute its own share to the strengthening of the defense and security of the alliance and the overall defense and security situation in Europe, and it can also help in integrating this area of this region that was so divided during the Cold War.

TOL: What do you think Slovenia’s role should be within NATO?

Kucan: There are several aspects regarding Slovenia’s accession to the Euro-Atlantic alliance. First of all, with its size, it will relatively strengthen the defense and security structure. Also, it will form a link on the southern flank of the alliance between Italy and Hungary, which had no direct contact until now. It can also provide its experience from the former Yugoslavia and its efforts in finding a long-term solution for peace, security, prosperity, and democracy in the region, and also contribute to the expansion of the values to which it is committed, and for the defense of values for which the alliance was created in the first place.

TOL: What do you think NATO’s role should be in the future?

Kucan: First of all, let’s remind ourselves of what NATO Secretary-General Lord [George] Robertson said in his introductory speech today at the beginning of the summit. He called this summit a summit of change for NATO, and NATO will thus have to adapt more quickly to the security and political situation in today’s global and interdependent world. In this interdependent world, we have new threats that are emerging--new threats to peace, security, and even to the existence of mankind as such.

These new threats are no longer classical war but various forms of international organized crime, including international terrorism, and that means that the threats that we are facing have become global and transnational. This also means that security of states is not being defended anymore on the borders of these states, but at the source of these threats. That is the role of NATO within the United Nations and their efforts for peace to prevent these threats from emerging, and that is where I think the prospects for NATO lie.