Address by the Minister of Defense, Anton Grizold, PH.D on the Day
of the Slovenian Armed Forces
Cerklje 15 May, 2002
Distinguished President, Commander-in-Chief of the defense forces
of the Republic of Slovenia, officers, non-commissioned officers and
soldiers, colleagues, guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Despite an increasingly intensive process of integration in the era
of accelerated globalization, the primary mission of the Slovenian
Armed Forces remains the defense of the country and its statehood.
Today, the Republic of Slovenia is neither the subject of a
military threat nor is it a threat to any other country. However, we
would like to ensure our long- term security and stability in the
environment that Slovenia belongs to within a geographical,
historical, cultural and civilized framework. This is one of the key
preconditions for a comprehensive and continued development of a
country. The development and modernization of our defense
establishment, and in particular the Slovenian Armed Forces, as its
vital part, are part of the development processes of our society.
A good decade after the war for Slovenian independence, the
Slovenian Armed Forces have grown from Territorial Defense to a force
that is becoming increasingly comparable with modern armed forces that
have had several decades of history, experiences, and tradition.
Slovenia started with little, wishing to achieve tremendous results in
a very short time. After years of trying to find an appropriate
concept, we finally came to realize that we need a small, but modern
and efficient armed force.
Today, our goal is clear: to establish a modern military
organization to cope with present and future security challenges that
Slovenia is bound to face in an increasingly unpredictable world, and
to have Slovenian Armed Forces capable of providing national defense
for the Republic of Slovenia, and protect its sovereignty and national
interests through the participation in the collective defense system
that we want to become a part of, on an equal footing.
Forming a modern military organization goes far beyond employing a
few thousand new soldiers. The success of this project depends on
finding a common language of all political actors in the country. The
transformation of the Slovenian Armed Forces needs to be planned
carefully and deliberately, and supported by appropriate financial,
human, and other resources. At the Ministry of Defense, we have been
able to successfully meet the challenges of the contemporary society,
as well as future challenges through a dynamic transformation process
of both the Slovenian Armed Forces and the entire defense system. The
transformation process has been a deliberate, and gradual process,
based on well defined arguments and adopted documents, taking into
account our own and foreign experiences.
The following tasks are considered to be of key importance for the
fulfillment of the goal we have set for ourselves:
- To raise the level of SAF readiness through organizational and
structural changes, and modified operational concepts.
- To reinforce the peace-time structure for peace and crisis
missions in the immediate and broader international environment.
- To downsize the war-time structure, allowing for the changed level
of threat and actual human and material resources available for the
formation of units.
- To improve personnel structure and change the proportion between
officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
- To upgrade the command and control system and draw clear lines
between command authorities at the strategic and operational levels.
- To upgrade the military logistic system.
- To adjust the military infrastructure to the size and structure of
the Slovenian Armed Forces.
- To adjust education and training programs to the changed structure
of the armed forces, and
- To gradually introduce professional military, which is one of the
key and most demanding tasks in the process of SAF transformation.
It is a fact that the majority of the Slovenian population support
the idea to do away with conscription as a method of manning our
military, and to establish an all-professional force with a volunteer
reserve structure. At the Ministry of Defense, necessary arrangements
have been made, and a plan submitted to the RS government for a
conversion to a new manning system in a relatively short period. In
order to carry out this demanding project. it is vital that we do
three things:
- start with an intensive reinforcement of the professional
structure and corrective measures concerning personnel management,
- start with the recruitment and formation of the future volunteer
reserve structure as soon as possible, bearing in mind that we have no
experience in this field, and
- ensure a constant growth of defense budget allocation so that they
will amount up to 2 % of the GDP in the upcoming years.
Throughout this process, we need to be constantly reminded of the
fact that with the transition to a professional military, we are not
only changing SAF structure, but also the old attitudes and
operational principles, which is certainly the more demanding part in
the accomplishment of the task. If we want a truly professional
force, manned with professionals, our servicemembers need to accept
and live the following values: eagerness to learn, inventiveness,
determination, honor, courage, discipline, responsibility, dedication,
selfless service, motivation, and ambition.
Among the public, expenditures related to the development of the
national defense system are frequently compared to costs that Slovenia
will allegedly have to pay by joining NATO, which is simply not
true. To build a reliable national defense system requires substantial
funds, especially if we start from scratch. Each country has to decide
whether they will provide their own defense and increase their defense
budget allocations accordingly, or ensure part of their defense
efforts within the frame of an alliance. In Slovenia we decided for
the latter option, because it has proven to be more cost-effective,
and it brings other benefits in the political and economic fields.
Slovenia would like to establish a firm framework for the
uninterrupted functioning and development of the political democracy
and market economy. In addition, we are aware that cultural,
political, economic, and friendly ties between the countries can only
be established and maintained in a stabile and peaceful
environment. We believe that today NATO is an organization that has
been successful in ensuring a collective defense in the European
security structure. However, NATO is not only a political and military
alliance of democratic European and two overseas countries providing
security to its member states. It is an alliance that has taken on the
responsibility to maintain security and stability all over Europe. It
is increasingly becoming an organization of both collective defense
and collective security.
Slovenia is no longer on the receiving side when it comes to the
assurance of peace and stability. On the contrary, we have become a
member of the group that offers such assistance to other nations and
countries. Having this privilege, we also claim the right of
contributing to the formation of the political and security
arrangements of the world. and in particular, Europe. Therefore, we
are ready to take the responsibility to offer our expertise,
experiences, and resources that will serve this goal. Future NATO
membership will affirm Slovenia's role and position, and help us to
even increase our contribution and influence in this process. The main
point of being a NATO member is how to use limited resources, so that
one can, as much as possible, influence factors which are causing or
could potentially cause uncertainty, instability, or even
crises. Internal relations between the forces in the international
community have not been fully stabilized yet. By being a NATO member,
Slovenia will be able to participate in the rearranging of the world,
as an equal partner and have actual influence on factors that ensure
our existence.
It is important to emphasize again that your and our mission is to
effectively defend the sovereignty of our country, bearing in mind all
our tasks in establishing a modern, efficient, and highly capable
defense system of Slovenia and meeting the international obligations
within the system of collective defense.
We value in particular your efforts in the work with young
conscripts, the young Slovenian citizens in uniform. The image of the
military that remains impressed in the minds of these boys is an image
that remain impressed for their entire life. It is worth putting all
your effort in making this image as pleasant as possible as future
professional soldiers of the Slovenian Armed Forces will come also
from this contingent.
Officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and sailors! I would
like to express my congratulations on the occasion of Slovenian Armed
Forces Day. I would like to wish you an abundance of personal
achievements, professional challenges, and success with your dedicated
work. My sincerest congratulations go also to the service members of
the Slovenian Armed Forces who are not currently serving in our
country but are in service of important mission on Slovenia's behalf
in peace support operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the
Middle East.
Distinguished co-workers,
On the occasion of Slovenian Armed Forces Day I would like to wish
you that you continue to do your responsible work with a lot of
courage and decisiveness, as the tasks ahead of us will require a lot
of effort and energy from all of the Ministry of Defense employees,
and especially from you, service members of the Slovenian Armed
Forces. Accordingly, we will meet the set objectives together because
the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia expect this from us.
Thank you.
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