KUCAN - PRODI MEETING

Ljubljana, 7 June 2001



In his talks with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, and Commissioner Guenter Verheugen the President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the European Commission's positions concur with Slovenia's ambitions to join the EU and its views on the necessity and direction of enlargement. He emphasised that Slovenia is systematically fulfilling its share of obligations in the joint project and that it expects the EU to also duly complete its share of the tasks. In President Kucan's opinion postponing enlargement would cause serious problems not only for Slovenia but also for the EU and would be a weak message for the future of Europe.

Slovenia understands the dilemmas which the EU is facing in seeking an appropriate balance between the principle of efficiency and the principle of equality of its members, as Slovenia already experienced this in the former Yugoslavia. He underlined, however, that along with the vision of future development, it will also have to resolve the issues arising now and which pertain both to the EU and the candidate countries. These are mainly issues emerging in the process of negotiations and which are also pointing to a contradiction of interests.

Romano Prodi expressed optimism, saying that all EU member states are aware of the consequences that a postponement of enlargement would have and emphasised that Slovenia, if it continues with the preparatory activities as systematically and intensively as it has to date, will certainly be among the countries taking part in the European Parliament elections in 2004.