RECALLS OF SLOVENIA'S AMBASSADORS

Ljubljana, 28 August 2000


The President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, has not yet signed the Presidential Order for the recall of five Ambassadors of the Republic of Slovenia abroad submitted to him for signing by the Prime Minister. The President informed foreign minister Lojze Peterle of this today.

In his letter President Kucan requested clarification from the Foreign Minister as to how long the Embassies in question are to remain without their heads of mission and who are the candidates for the positions of Ambassadors if changes were planned. The President also brought attention to the established practice of informing the President of the Republic about the proposed new Ambassadors prior to any recall decisions being made by the Foreign Minister.

The President of the Republic estimates that a prolonged absence of heads of diplomatic missions would not contribute to the strengthening of Slovenia's bilateral relations with other countries. On the other hand the President also pointed out the unwritten rule applied by countries having a long diplomatic tradition where heads of missions are not changed shortly prior to elections in order for the appropriate candidates for the leading post in missions abroad to be decided on by a government that received the vote of confidence from its people at the elections. The President of the Republic therefore will not appoint new Ambassadors before the parliamentary elections.