Toast by the President of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Milan Kucan at a Dinner on the Occasion of the 9th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States

Bled, 31 May 2002

Distinguished Presidents, Dear Friends,

It is a great honour and privilege for Slovenia and for myself personally to host this, now traditional, meeting of Presidents of Central European states. These days I have been thinking a lot about the path we have travelled since our first, now already historical meeting in Lytomysl in the Czech Republic, the ground for which was laid a year earlier in Salzburg on the initiative of presidents Klestil, Havel, Weizscäker and Göncz. It was then when we set out on a common journey with a clear idea so convincingly justified by President Havel, a visionary and a great supporter of the significance of reviving the culture and spirit of Central Europe as a focal point of the European values, dialogue, tolerance and respect for human difference and creativity. With the end of the block division of Europe the Central European idea was reborn. It grew and enriched its own Pan-European democratic substance in the optimistic circumstances at the turn of the millennium. It was a time of new hope after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a time of faith that Europe begins and ends where its values are respected and where there is a willingness to accept and develop its legal order, its democratic political culture and its willingness to share the responsibility of global governance. No one could have known then whether Europe would live in security, freedom and peace from then on. No one knows that today. But there is hope for Europe. It is aware that the world belongs to all people and all nations and that anyone taking the right to force his own ideas unto all others must be rejected. It is also aware that wealth and prosperity harbour the danger of not understanding the poor, that the power of the great harbours the danger of that power being applied without an understanding for the position of the small and the weak. That same time was unfortunately also a time of dangerous play with fire in Europe's Southeast. It was precisely in Litomysl that we were deeply upset and shaken by news of the horrors of war blazing up in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It brought us down to a hard realisation that the path to a Pan-European rule of democratic values, to a united Europe would be a long and difficult one. The events of the time even further reinforced our conviction that the idea for our meetings was correct and most welcome, regardless of the many other associations, integrations and established European institutions.

Looking back to our Central European voyage through the complex European and global times, I believe we have done a good job. We carefully selected the themes of our annual meetings, voicing our opinions informally, frankly and directly. An important contribution in this context was made by presidents who are not with us as they had concluded their terms in office. Let me remind us of German Presidents Weizsäcker and Herzog, Hungarian President Göncz, Italian President Scalfaro, and others whose intellectual breadth and life's experience contributed significantly to the crystallisation and comprehensive understanding of Central Europe as an integrator of a uniting Europe. The vivacity and usefulness of our meetings was brought to new highs every year with the participation of additional new states from the broader region of Central Europe. This time there are as many as sixteen of us here. I believe this is a clear sign of the recognition of the sense of such meetings and the need for an openness to all democratic states, also those from the broader European scene. I should like to bid particular welcome to those presidents, who are here with us for the first time today, with the hope of their fruitful participation in our midst.

The present European and global moment is different from that in the now remote year of 1994, yet it is no less challenging. The world has become global and interdependent. The events of September the 11th and in its aftermath demand of us to see the world as such. The world is unfortunately not made to the measure of our desires. The end of a bipolar world was not also the end of its contradictions. In this global, interdependent, competitive and polycentric development Europe is but one of the centres of development. If it wants to ensure its own influence in this world, if it wants this world to also fit its values and spiritual heritage, its economic strength and its social and political stability, Europe must ask itself whether it has the capacity to play such a role and what must be done to achieve this. That is the mission of the Convention on the future of Europe and we wish it every success in this endeavour. After all, it is about us and about our common future. It is about preserving Europe's ability in culture and spirit. Europe's strength lies in its inner differences, in the integration and interaction of the related cultures of European nations stemming from the same roots but bearing highly individual marks. From this perspective a united Europe is also a cultural undertaking. It is also an ethical undertaking, excluding national egotism. It is based on the recognition of man's individuality and freedom, comprising also the freedom of belonging to any ethnic or religious community, thus acknowledging differences and the ability of living with those differences.

It is with particular pleasure that I note that Central European states are already members of the EU or NATO or, so we hope, are just at the threshold of these two crucial institutions of the Euro-Atlantic community. This will open new avenues of cooperation for all of us within this great project shaping the future of Europe.

Also the situation in South-Eastern Europe is settling down. These countries, too, are demonstrating their willingness for a rapprochement to European integration structures and to invest the required effort together with all European countries desirous of peace, security and the application of fundamental European values in our continent's Southeast. That new image of our Central European and European world is encouraging. I suppose I may be allowed to say that our presidential meetings have contributed to this as well.

Let me add, on this pleasant occasion, that in less than a year, our respected and dear friend Václav Havel's term in office will come to an end. Wherever he will be creating in the future, wherever life takes him, we wish him all the best. Our friendly thoughts will be with him wherever he will be. Working with him was an honour and a great intellectual challenge. I myself will be taking leave as well. I am grateful to you, distinguished Presidents and friends, for our cooperation. I would like to believe that to the best of my ability I too have contributed to the promotion of the Central European idea. I also firmly believe that esteemed President Klestil, as last of the initiators of these meetings to remain in office, will successfully continue the project. This will benefit united Europe, it will benefit our nations and states, it will benefit all Europeans.

I raise my glass in your honour, dear friends, hoping for a happy future for your countries and nations, for all people of good will.

GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA OFFICE © 2002