UK SECRETARY OF DEFENCE CALLS ON PRESIDENT KUCAN

Ljubljana, 17 April 2002


The President of the Republic today received Geoffrey Hoon, Secretary of Defence of the United Kingdom, arriving on a two-day official visit to the Republic of Slovenia on invitation from the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Anton Grizold.

The talks focused on current global security and political affairs, both interlocutors agreeing that responsibility for finding solutions to conflict zones and related humanitarian interventions in today's interdependent world cannot rest solely on regional factors but presumes the global involvement of all states belonging to the international democratic community. Also discussed were Slovenia's efforts for NATO accession. The UK values the achievements of the Slovenian Army, its endeavours for modernisation, and particularly the active role it plays within Partnership for Peace in crisis areas.

Threats to peace anywhere in the world represent a danger for each and every one of us, regardless of whether we might be under direct threat or not. For this reason, in President Kucan's opinion, providing for security interests within a system of collective security as purveyed by NATO, whereby every member contributes to the strengthening of common security, is the best possible solution for Slovenia, which, as reassured by Defence Secretary Hoon, also enjoys the UK's support.