PRESIDENT KUCAN CONCLUDES NEW YORK VISIT TODAY

Ljubljana, 13 September 2002


The President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, addressed teh 57th UN General Assembly today on behalf of Slovenia. In his remarks the President underlined that the authority of the UN is now on trial. “It is about the ability of the United Nations to implement its positions for concerted action”. President Kucan also emphasised that even the best in military weaponry of the antiterrorist coalition cannot reach down to the roots of this evil that exploits the apathy and the wrath of the peoples and states left without a future.

Following his address at the UN the President Kucan also met with the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica. The topics of discussion revolved around bilateral relations between the states and the situation in the Balkans. President Kucan assessed with satisfaction that the Balkans are no longer regarded as one of the central crisis areas in the world which the UN is dealing with. The Presidents exchanged views on those processes in the region where the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia plays a crucial role. Presiden Kostunica informed his Slovenian counterpart with the conduct of talks concerning the constitutional foundations of future relations between Serbia and Montenegro, as well as with his assessments on Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Also on the agenda of talks between the two Presidents was Macedonia.

Regarding bilateral cooperation Presidents Kucan and Kostunica estimated that relations between the two states are developing well in all areas. They particularly focused on the issue of succession to the former federation and, in this context, on the efforts for resolving the issue of foreign currency deposits and the archives.

Late last evening President Kucan also met Albania’s President Alfred Moisiu on Albania’s initiative. In the course of the talks the Albanian President expressed great interest in the continuation of political contacts between the two states, as well as for the enhancement of economic cooperation. The interlocutors mainly concentrated on the situation in South-Eastern Europe, particularly in Kosovo and Macedonia.

The President’s talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Mushar, which also took place yesterday, mainly revolved around the scheduled visit of Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein to Slovenia this autumn. Jordan’s Minister, whose country is one of the leading intermediaries in the Middle-Eastern peace process, offered an assessment of the chances for a successful outcome of he Arab peace initiative and the coordinated action with the EU, the UN, the United States and the Russian Federation. The Minister also presented Jordan’s position on the eventuality of military action against Iraq, expressing his concern as to the possibility of appeasement in the Middle East.