The Euro-Atlantic Contradiction
Remarks by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Dimitrij Rupel at the 39th Munich Security Conference
8 February 2003
Slovenia is joining the European Union and NATO at the same
time. We hope to become full members of both organizations next year,
after having completed the necessary procedures. We have, so far,
interpreted these two organizations as complementary, and we have seen
their members as members of the same family of nations. Most often,
the same people attend meetings of both EU and NATO.
Recently, some events and number of statements have introduced a
division between our countries, and, in the case of Slovenia, some
people would like to interpret the difference (that exists) as a
contradiction. These new divisions and contradictions are rather
unpleasant and even dangerous, especially for the newcomers. Divisions
between EU and NATO, between "old" and "new"
Europe, or between the old and the new world, are embarrassing, but
today they are a fact.
In Slovenia, we have a hard time accepting these divisions and
contradictions, because they force us to choose between them, to
choose between friends or, if you want, between members of the family.
I wonder, whether it is possible to overcome the problem of the
Euro-Atlantic contradiction. I think we should try hard to do it.
One of the issues is the Iraqi crisis. I think that the solution
for the contradiction could be found if we agree that the solution
should and could be found in the context of the United Nations.
If such a solution is not found, than we shall most probably hurt
the authority of the United Nations, not to speak about the cohesion
of the Euro-Atlantic community.
Slovenia has joined the V-10 statement at the same time as we
joined the EU statement.
Slovenia is a member of the Vilnius group that we helped to
establish together with Lithuania. This group has not been
established to alienate any group of nations. Slovenia has worked in
this group to bring to NATO also Croatia, Macedonia and Albania. The
principle we followed was integration and inclusion rather than
division or separation. In Slovenia, we try hard to be Europeans, but
we keep appreciating our American allies. And if we have joined the
V-10, we did not exclude ourselves from French or German friendship.
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