Bilateral Meetings

Meeting of Presidents Ciampi and Kucan

Bled, 31 May 2002

Presidents Ciampi and Kucan met in the evening of the first day of the 9th Meeting of Presidents of Central European States.

President Kucan thanked the Italian President for his very conducive and resonant contribution to the meeting of the heads of state. President Kucan assessed relations between the two countries as good and fruitful, although sporadic disturbances do occur, causing unease and uncertainty. Through the past fifty years we still have not been able to get over the past. It is only right that we do not forget the past, but that should be done with peace and a kinder future in mind. President Kucan reiterated to President Ciampi the initiative put forward two years ago in Rome for the two presidents together to pay their respects to the victims of World War II and of the violence in the years following the war.

President Ciampi agreed that they should jointly consider the initiative, emphasising himself that the past should not go forgotten, but that it must serve as a reminder for the future.

Due to official obligations on occasion of the Italian National Day President Ciampi returned to Rome in the evening.

Presidents Havel and Kucan at the Central European Summit

Bled, 31 May 2002

At the forefront of today's talks between Presidents Havel and Kucan were the EU and NATO enlargement processes, also in the light of the Bush-Putin meeting and the Rome Agreement signed between NATO and Russia. The Presidents exchanged their views on the preparations for the NATO summit in Prague, a meeting of historic import in President Havel's opinion. Havel believes that Slovenia, too, will receive an invitation to join NATO. They also discussed the Meeting of Central European Presidents and its future prospects.

President Havel extended his congratulations to Slovenia's hospitality at this year's summit, offering not only beautiful weather but also excellent organisation.

Slovak and Slovene Presidents on Euro-Atlantic Enlargement Processes

Bled, 31 May 2002

Prior to a ceremony where a donation of the Slovak Republic to the International Trust Fund for Demining and Assistance to Mine Victims and preceding the official start of the Central European Presidential meeting, President Kucan met with Slovak President Schuster. In their talks, conducted in a very friendly atmosphere, the Presidents focused on EU and NATO enlargement and on their expectation for these processes to continue and strengthen Europe's ability to face up to the dilemmas of an interdependent world. They positively assessed Russia's role in these processes, particularly in the light of its recent agreement with NATO.

The Presidents also discussed the prospects for the Central European presidential dialogue.

Parvanov and Kucan Meet at Bled Castle

Bled, 1 June 2002

As part of the Central European Summit, President of the Republic Milan Kucan met with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov at Bled Castle today. The talks focused on the European South-East and on the efforts of all the countries in the region for a most rapid stabilisation of the situation and their integration into Euro-Atlantic integration processes. The interlocutors agreed that a stable development of SE Europe is the responsibility of all of Europe and a matter of common concern for peace and security. They also exchanged views on the enlargement processes, whereby President Kucan stated that Slovenia supports an individual approach in assessing candidates for EU membership.

Mesic and Kucan Meet at Brdo pri Kranju

Brdo, 1 June 2002

President Kucan met with Croatian President Stipe Mesic on the sidelines of the Meeting of Presidents of Central European States. The Presidents discussed the outcome of the Central European summit meeting and the current state of affairs in bilateral relations. They agreed that it was not good that the countries have been stating for the past ten years that bilateral problems are solvable yet these problems nevertheless still remain unsolved. According to Kucan this is not a good bill of credibility for the two countries, which is why both Zagreb and Ljubljana should seriously consider the significance of this situation.

As President Mesic said to the press following the meeting, the two countries should again get around the table and seek out the issue that can be solved first. Kucan also believes that at least one issue should be resolved if there is no other way. He points out, however, that "his position is not to start solving the problems from anew". As he put it, "we should begin from where we are now and agree on the issues that are solvable, otherwise everything is made relative all the time".

"The border in the Bay of Piran had been agreed between the two governments, the agreement had been initialled, but suddenly it has become relative, it is not there. This cannot be, we cannot arrive at a solution for each problem and then have that solution disappear. That is the worst approach," Kucan pointed out. An agreement has been made, we need to let time run its course, and some day the problem will be solved on the basis of what was agreed between the two governments, the President stated decidedly. Kucan also underlined that these problems cannot be solved "through the media, using half-truths or wrong interpretations, which only add to the weight of these already tough problems".

Presidents Trajkovski and Kucan Meet at Brdo pri Kranju

Brdo, 1 June 2002

As part of the Meeting of Presidents of Central European States President Kucan met separately with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski. By way of introduction President Trajkovski thanked his host for the outstanding hospitality and for the successful organisation of the meeting, expressing his particular thanks for the invitation to attend the meeting for the first time, thus enabling the President to present Macedonia's views on European integration processes and the future of Europe.

President Trajkovski invited President Kucan to Macedonia, emphasising such a visit would constitute an important expression of support to Macedonia and its rapprochement to the EU and NATO, and an opportunity for Macedonia to familiarise itself with Slovenia's experience with integration in both associations.

President Kucan stated that Slovenia is ready to share its experience with EU negotiations with Macedonia, estimating that the three final negotiation chapters would be the most difficult ones since they mainly concern financial and material issues. The Presidents also discussed the great imbalance in trade between the countries, which is already growing into an obstacle to the faster development of economic relations. President Kucan believed that the only way of overcoming the said problem was to develop more advanced forms of economic cooperation such as joint ventures.

Presidents Voronin and Kucan Meet at Brdo pri Kranju

Brdo, 1 June 2002

As part of the Meeting of Presidents of Central European States President Kucan met separately with Moldavian President Vladimir Voronin. By way of introduction President Voronin thanked his host for the outstanding hospitality and for the successful organisation of the meeting. President Voronin expressed particular satisfaction with the fact that he had the opportunity to meet several presidents attending the meeting, thus explaining to them the problems Moldova is facing in its transition and participation in European integration processes.

Presidents Iliescu and Kucan Meet at Brdo pri Kranju

Brdo, 1 June 2002

As part of the Meeting of Presidents of Central European States President Kucan met separately with Romanian President Ion Iliescu. By way of introduction President Iliescu thanked his host for the outstanding hospitality and for the successful organisation of the meeting.

President Iliescu added that he was eagerly expecting President Kucan on his official visit to Romania this July. President Kucan thanked him for the invitation, adding that the visit would offer a good opportunity for more detailed talks regarding bilateral relations. President Kucan will be accompanied by a sizeable economic delegation during the visit, comprising those Slovenian companies with concrete interests in doing business on the Romanian market.

Presidents Klestil and Kucan Meet on the Sidelines of Central European Summit

Bled, 31 May 2002

President of the Republic Milan Kucan took the opportunity of meeting with Austrian President Klestil for an exchange of views on the significance of the NATO-Russia agreement for European security architecture and Europe's active role in steering global processes in an interdependent world. President Kucan informed his Austrian counterpart on the progress of the public debate in Slovenia on NATO membership, the likes of which no other NATO candidate country has had in the past.

The Presidents also discussed Austrian-Slovenian relations, assessing them as good. President Kllestil expressed Austria's interest in a modern road and railway connection with Croatia across Slovenia. President Kucan reassured him that this was a priority for Slovenia as soon as the construction of the national motorway network is completed.

Kucan and Klestil also discussed the Central European Presidents' summit and the next country to host the meeting.

President Kucan Receives Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Beriz Belkic

Bled, 31 May 2002

Prior to the start of the Central European Summit meeting the President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, received the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Beriz Belkic. In their first bilateral meeting the two heads of state assessed relations between the countries as traditionally good and friendly. Chairman of the Presidency Belkic expressed particular thanks for the invitation to attend the summit and for the opportunity to partake in the Central European dialogue and in Central European multilateral affairs. The guest also expressed his satisfaction with the fact that good relations between the two countries are also demonstrated by the great interest shown by the Slovenian economy for the Bosnian market. Nevertheless the imbalance in trade, an illustration of the resourcefulness, ability and position of the Slovene economy, represents a problem that in the Chairman's view should be actively resolved through joint investments, greater exports of Bosnian goods to Slovenia and closer cooperation between the two chambers of commerce. The Chairman of the Presidency also thanked Slovenia for its involvement in the successful operation of the ITF International Trust Fund for Demining and Assistance to Mine Victims. Also on the agenda were visa policy and the Schengen border regime.

The interlocutors also exchanged their views on the role of the international community in appeasing the situation in the Balkans, particularly following the change of the high representative of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina. They agreed that a solid Bosnia-Herzegovina is an important guarantor of peace and stability in the region.

GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA OFFICE © 2002