Harmonizing NATO and EU requirements for candidate countries European Institute
Washington, 23. March 2001
The Addres of Dr. Dimtrij Rupel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Slovenia
Talking Points:
Good and stable Trans-Atlantic relations are of vital interest to
Slovenia, which has two strategic priorities: full membership in the
EU and in NATO.
Slovenia believes that collective defence is an indispensable
ingredient for its future security and political posture and that NATO
is the cornerstone of it.
NATO and the Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP)
should not compete, exclude, deminish or marginalize each other, but
complement and reinforce each other.
The relations between the United States and Europe, with NATO as
its cornerstone, is the most important global relationship. Slovenia
is well aware that in order to complete the process of its own
transformation and to fully implement its results, it will inevitably
have to become a member of NATO and the EU and thus a part of this
unique and historic partnership.
The key challenge of the EU is the enlargement to the east. In this
process the EU is proceeding rapidly and with a vision.
The Slovene Government positively assesses the results of the
Intergovernmental Conference in Nice in November 2000, which is based
on the fact that the precondition for the EU enlargement has thereby
been fulfilled.
We welcome the Commission's Communication strategy on enlargement
that must be based on the democratic legitimacy of the process. The
low level of support for enlargement in some member states is a cause
of concern. The objective readiness of a candidate country to take
over and implement the Acquis Communautaire and objective information
provided to EU citizens about the importance of the enlargement are
therefore crucial for the democratic legitimacy of the enlargement.
Slovenia welcomes the principles of objective readiness and of
differentiation of each individual candidate, which the EU adopted as
key principles of the enlargement process. We have set ourselves a
target date - the beginning of 2003 - when we will be ready to resume
the responsibilities of the EU membership.
Slovenia has reached a political consensus with regard to accession
to the EU and NATO. All political parties in the Parliament with the
exception of a smaller opposition party support this project.
Slovenia is one of leading candidates. GDP per capita in terms of
purchasing power exceeds 70% of the EU average and should by 2015
amount to 98% of the EU average. Its growth amounted to 5% in 1999, it
was almost equally high last year, and during the last six years the
GDP growth ranged from 3.5% to 5%.
Slovenia is at present a factor of stability and security in
Central and South- Eastern Europe. We are closing negotiations with
the EU and want to conclude them by the beginning of 2002. So far, we
have closed 14 out of 31 chapters of the Acquis.
The Common European Defence does not mean less NATO. Both
complement each other. The emerging of a strengthened European defence
and security component will contribute to the significance of the
Transatlantic Alliance. The European and American Allies should be
aware of their joined responsibilities in the future.
At the Washington Summit in 1999, NATO confirmed its commitment to
the further enlargement in compliance with its principle of the
"Open-Door Policy". This gives hope to aspirant countries,
including Slovenia, for receiving an invitation at the next Summit in
2002.
Slovenia has carefully planned and implemented a range of
activities in order to meet the necessary criteria: in 1998, the
Government confirmed the National Strategy for Integration of the
Republic of Slovenia into NATO which was also approved by the National
Assembly and was submitted to the Alliance; in October 1999, the
Government adopted the Annual National Programme for the
Implementation of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and submitted it to
NATO. On the basis of the assessment of implementation of the first
Membership Action Plan and NATO's Report on the Progress of Slovenia,
the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted, in September 2000,
the Annual National Programme for the Implementation of the Membership
Action Plan 2000 - 2001 and submitted it to NATO that same month. 2001
will be crucial for the implementation of the MAP and for Slovenia's
drawing closer to NATO.
The enlargement is understood to benefit the both sides; the
question is not only what are Slovenia's reasons for integration into
NATO, but also how would Slovenia contribute to the Alliance and
strengthen it.
Slovenia occupies a specific geopolitical and strategic position
within Central Europe and has in terms of its history, civilization,
culture and economy as well as strategically in military terms always
been a part of Central Europe. As its most southern part Slovenia thus
represents an important meeting point with both Mediterranean Europe
and South Eastern Europe. As such it marks an important intersection
of geostrategic routes running in the direction south-west/north-east
(Italy - Slovenia - Hungary - Ukraine) and north-west/south-east
(Austria - Slovenia - Croatia - Yugoslavia).
With its geographical position Slovenia represents a gate to
South-Eastern Europe and is a herald and interpreter of the
Transatlantic Policy in this region. On the other hand, Slovenia is
also a link between Italy and Hungary, both NATO members, and can
offer special military knowledge that can be used, for example, in the
alpine environment. Slovenia also has vast knowledge of the cultures,
ethnic diversities and problems in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
The Madrid Summit was in its basis a political one, founded on the
NATO enlargement study, which has highlighted as the necessary
criteria functioning democracy, market economy, human rights, state of
law and good-neighborly relations. The experiences from the
pre-accession period and the first two years of full membership of
Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary show that these criteria must
be further developed and upgraded.
The Washington Summit launched the Membership Action Plan (MAP),
thus providing aspirant countries with a more systematic, focused and
result-oriented process. Successful fulfillment of the MAP itself does
not imply an automatic invitation. However, it should be one of the
crucial conditions. Each aspirant country should be assessed
individually and invited on the basis of the achieved results.
The Prague Summit will take place five years after the Madrid
Summit, when invitations to three Central European countries to join
the North Atlantic Alliance were extended. It seems that the Prague
Summit will be both high time and a symbolic venue for a new decision
on further invitations.
We still have to do our homework to the best of our abilities,
resources and knowledge. The remaining time until the Prague Summit
will be crucial for prioritizing our resources, both financial and
human. (Public support in Slovenia for our endeavors has been
maintained at a relatively high level, but no one can say how the
public would react should Slovenia not be invited, after investing a
lot but not achieving its objective). The MAP of today is different
from the MAP of April 1999 when it was adopted. We have learned a lot
and so have the Allies.
We understand that the membership criteria according which the
candidate countries will be judged have been "upgraded" (are
more demanding) since Madrid, now including more than before the
security bonus that each new nation will bring into the Membership. We
accept that because we also want the Alliance not only to remain
strong but also to get even stronger in order to be able to respond to
tomorrow's challenges and threats.
There are different scenarios for the Prague Summit decision on the
issue of new invitations, but only extended invitations there would
credibly confirm the declared continuation of the "Open Door
Policy".
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