PRESIDENT KUCAN RECEIVES NATO SECRETARY GENERAL LORD ROBERTSON

Ljubljana, 12 November 2001


President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, received NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson today, who is visiting Slovenia as part of his tour of NATO candidate countries. The President reiterated Slovenia's resolve and interest for full-fledged NATO membership, which Slovenia has been pursuing with all its resources. Slovenia places particular emphasis on its military capacity to contribute to the common defence capability of the alliance. This constitutes a realistic basis to the expectation for Slovenia to meet the required criteria for admission. In this context it is aware that the decision regarding new members will also depend on the alliance's broader global considerations in a new international security and political environment. Lord Robertson restated NATO's assessment that Slovenia had achieved significant results in its preparation for membership and recommended that it continue on this path.