Speech of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Türk on the 15th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States

Ohrid, 2.5.2008  |  speech

Speech of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Türk on the 15th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States
Ohrid, 2 May 2008
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Mr. President, Branko Crvenkovski,
Mr. Prime Minister,
Honourable Presidents of the Central European States,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I feel especially privileged to have the opportunity to speak as the first speaker under the item titled “Together in the Future - EU Enlargement Challenges.” The EU enlargement is an important subject and it is no coincidence that it was put as the first item on our agenda. Slovenia is presiding the European Union at this stage. Obviously much of our effort is devoted to the questions of the future European Union and the importance of its enlargement in that context.

Sometimes we are asked to summarise the central idea of the Slovene presidency in one word. In such situations the answer, our motto, is - synergy. Synergy is the word which describes our aspirations and aspirations of the European Union countries most effectively. Synergy has to be developed from within and has to characterize the European Union in its present composition. Additionally, synergy is a motto for European Union’s work internationally and at the global scene. There is no need for me to recite the techniques and methods which are used to develop synergies within the European Union. I would only like to mention that the time of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty is the time when we look towards the synergetic effects of the new institutions. This development is creating great expectations and we hope the expectations will be fulfilled, if possible at the end of this year, and if not, then in the year to come. One of the effects of this development will be further strengthening of the EU as a global player.

It is very important to understand the fact that the European Union has already become a global player. The European Union is not only a group of states in Europe. It is a global player already and it will have to play its role as a global player in the future. The way it plays this role will define the future of the EU in its entirety.

I would like to mention two examples in which such a role is expressed at present and which are the examples to which we, the Presidents of the Central European States, have to give appropriate attention.

The first relates to climate changes and the second to human rights. Obviously, in both of these areas Europe has much to do at home. In addition, the European Union can play an important role internationally. The European Commission has already defined specific objectives on green house gas emissions which will enable the European Union to play a leading role globally. These ambitious objectives have been supported by the European Council. The critical question comes now. Will the European Union be able to muster a coherent policy for the future and will it be able to lead the global negotiations which are to take place this and next year? There has been a degree of unrest within European Union and if one reads the European media one can see mixed messages. There are expressions of support, but then also the skeptical voices which draw attention to the fact that difficulties in the global economy make competition in our days harder and the environmental objectives less central. So here we have a major issue of global importance, an issue where the European Union will face one of the critical tests of our time. And we all - members of the European Union and candidate countries alike - have to think with clarity and with an appropriate degree of ambition on how to proceed further. Perhaps this conference could provide us with some fresh ideas in this regard.

The second example that I wish to mention is human rights. Human rights are at the core of the European Union, at the core of its philosophy and its structures. Here again the European Union has work to do domestically, but it also has a global role to play. The European Union has accepted, within the Lisbon treaty, the Charter of fundamental human rights. This will be a binding commitment, which will apply to all member states. But its international implications are no less significant. Global action for human rights is currently lagging behind. The United Nations Human Rights Council is still struggling to get its working methods right. Its effort to establish a system of global periodic review of human rights is promising, but not yet entirely developed. Its action in the face of massive and systematic violations of human rights is not sufficiently comprehensive. All this can be remedied over time, but this will not happen without an effective leadership. Here, members of the European Union and other countries represented at the present conference can help. We need countries committed to human rights, they have to be active in the United Nations and they have to lead.

Obviously in Central European states we have to think about our own immediate, specific tasks in the field of human rights. In Kosovo, the process of stabilization will require strong efforts and real success to secure human rights for all. Human rights that everybody will enjoy every day. Human rights are an important priority for all of us.

When we are thinking of priorities of substantive nature such as those that I have mentioned, we have to understand that the European Union has been the most successful system when it remained faithful to its pragmatic character. The European Union started as a pragmatic idea focusing on two strategic commodities at the time of its inception – coal and steel. It has remained a system devoted to pragmatism when it was developing its customs union and other forms of economic cooperation. And it has to think with great clarity of what constitutes the necessary pragmatism today. Any serious consideration of this matter will soon come to the conclusion that it is enlargement that constitutes the core of the idea of pragmatism in the present day circumstances. The European Union has to expand if it wishes to succeed. It will succeed as a global player if it included the countries that are candidates at present. These countries are not only in need of membership in the European Union, but they are also needed by the European Union.

I again need to mention just a few examples. In its effort to become a global player of strategic significance European Union needs Turkey. Negotiations with Turkey have to continue. European Union has to be aware of strategic importance of Turkey and the strategic vision of European Union with Turkey as its member. In addition, the European Union should not deprive Turkey of the perspective of membership, which has already been granted. Credibility of the European Union is at stake.

Secondly, the European Union can not accept a “black hole in Western Balkans”. The European perspective of Western Balkans needs to be made specific by means of negotiations and relevant agreements. This will require further work with the individual candidate countries and with a larger group of countries with the view to establishing an appropriate framework to discuss and solve common problems in this area.

I would like to emphasize, Mr. President, that your country, Macedonia, which has had the status of a candidate country since last December, has received a great deal of support. I am sure that this support will continue to be granted in the process of negotiation on membership. Negotiation is also the technique which should take care of the name issue which can be resolved if serious effort is made to find a reasonable and fair compromise. The name issue should not be a problem without a solution. Macedonia deserves support and it will have support in the future. There are many expressing good wishes to you. The most immediate good wishes relate to the forthcoming elections in Macedonia which, I am convinced, will be free and fair elections, conducted in a peaceful and constructive political atmosphere. This will be the earliest moment in which Macedonia will be in the focus of international attention. I am sure that the success of that process will strengthen the prospect of the Macedonia’s membership in the European Union.

With Croatia the negotiations are very well on the way, with the questions related to its systems of justice and public administration as the major issues for further negotiations. At the same time, the ongoing negotiations provide the opportunity for strengthen the good neighborly relations between Croatia and its neighbors and to find all the necessary solutions for the remaining problems, including border problems, between Croatia and its neighbors.

With Bosnia and Herzegovina critical progress has been made in the area of police reform. There is no doubt that further process will be successful. The economic progress and stabilization will also help. The Stabilization and Association Agreement should be signed soon.

With regard to Serbia we have seen the helping hand offered by the European Union. The Stabilization and Association Agreement has been signed and our hopes in Europe are that the forthcoming general elections will provide an opportunity for the Serbian people to express their wisdom and make a further step in the direction of European Union membership.

Finally, the European Union can be satisfied with the economic, social and political progress made in Montenegro, which should be given the candidate status before too long.

So, as we can see, there has been progress with regard to Balkan countries. The whole region is making progress. Obviously, there are also differences, there are individual factors, but we have to understand that progress is being made. And progress should not stop in the geographical areas that I have mentioned, namely with Turkey and Western Balkans. It has to include the neighboring countries as well. Ukraine and Moldova need the perspective of the European Union membership. They have to be given such a perspective at an appropriate moment. I spoke recently in European Parliament in Strasbourg about this and there, too, I emphasized the need for providing the perspective of EU membership to the Ukraine and Moldova.

And all this can be expressed in one word - pragmatism. European Union will continue to succeed if it takes a pragmatic approach and if it understands that - in this context - expansion is the order of the day. Pragmatism is not only action, pragmatism is also a state of mind. I don’t think I have to plead particularly hard for this at the present conference. In Central Europe we understand both: the importance of fulfilling the EU membership criteria and other conditions of membership – as the case may be - and the need for a pragmatic forward looking approach in the matter of EU expansion.

Mr. President, these are some thoughts that I had in mind and I wish to share with you at the beginning of this important discussion. I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to speak as the first speaker. I look forward to hearing the views of other participants at this conference.

Thank you very much.