PRESIDENT KUCAN WRITES TO PRESIDENT BUSH PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR NEW YORK

Ljubljana, 20 September 2002


Upon his departure to the 57th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York the President of the Republic, Milan Kuèan, dispatched a letter to President George W. Bush, stating that the terrorist attacks on the United States last September were also attacks on the right to freedom and security for all those of us who wish to contribute to a world of civilisational, cultural, religious and spiritual diversity living in peace, mutual respect and understanding between all states, nations and peoples whom globalisation has made irreversibly interdependent. This is the reason why, in President Kuèan's opinion, the world's democratic coalition was capable of the energy and will to jointly fight against international terrorism, at the same time starting a responsible search for far-reaching solutions that would prevent the world from even stricter divisions into those states, nations and peoples with a future and those left without that future, into those with hope and those with anger and despair.

»Two worlds are emerging and the growing rift between them offers fertile ground and support to terror in the name of a fictitious higher purpose of individual ethnic, religious and other groups. The experience of the global antiterrorist coalition has confirmed that mutual and concerted action by all parts of the world's democratic community of law is the right path towards solutions for the most demanding of global issues, including a more just world order,« President Kuèan wrote, adding that »the victims claimed by terrorist attacks are a horror. I believe that doing everything in our power to prevent new ones is the most respectful way of expressing our respects to all the victims. Slovenia sympathises with the United States and continues to stand reday to partake in any joint effort for peace, security and a kinder future for our world.«

President Kuèan will address the UN General Assembly speaking about the most topical global issues. During his stay in New York the President will also hold several bilateral meetings, attend a session of the UN Security Council marking the 1st anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, as well as a commemoration on the anniversary of the attacks organised by the City of New York.

The first day of his visit to New York, 9 September, the President will also meet Slovenian marathon swimmer Martin Strel, who swam the length of the Mississippi river in honour of the victims of terrorist attacks on the United States on 11 September last year.