PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S. GOVERNMENT DELEGATION

Ljubljana, 28 February 2002


During today's talks with a US Government delegation the President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, reiterated Slovenia's resolve for joining NATO, its strategic objective, which it is also intensively preparing for. In the President's opinion Slovenia's integration in Euro-Atlantic structures is essentially inherent to the independent Slovenian state. In the world of present-day all countries are equally exposed to new forms of threats to security and stability, which no country can counter on its own. Whatever happens anywhere in this global world happens to each and every one of us. Slovenia's decision for joining NATO is therefore a decision for common attention to the protection of human rights and other democratic values. President Kucan placed particular emphasis on Slovenia's active role in the endeavours of the international community for the appeasement and stabilisation of South-Eastern Europe, where Slovenia has deployed forces participating in international peacekeeping operations.