CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND KUCAN PRIOR TO THE SARAJEVO SUMMIT

Ljubljana, 28 July 1999


President of the Republic, Milan Kucan, replied today to a letter received from President of the United States Bill Clinton in which Clinton informed President Kucan of US views on the implementation of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe. Clinton expressed his expectation that Slovenia and its neighbours will outline plans for co-operating with each other to advance this goal. He expects Slovenia to advance proposals for achieving all-round long-term growth and stability in the crisis area. He also expressed his belief that procurement for reconstruction and development should be based on principles of transparency and integrity through open and fair competition that can facilitate the participation of firms from Southeast Europe. In President Clinton's opinion, the message to be sent by the Sarajevo summit must also be that political reform in Belgrade will create a more solid foundation for the stability of the entire region. In conclusion, the President welcomed the opportunity to work together with the Slovenian government, which he expects to make every effort in the preparatory meetings this weekend to help refine the plans for presentation at the summit. In his opinion, Slovenia also has many valuable lessons to share in promoting democratic change in Serbia.

In his reply to President Clinton's letter, President Milan Kucan wrote that it is of long-term benefit for Europe that it ultimately decided to directly assist Balkan states on their path towards a European way of life and towards a united Europe, thus calming the explosive Balkans in the longer term. The Sarajevo summit must provide the necessary confirmation of a common Euro-Atlantic will and adopt practical measures and solutions. It is the duty of all the states participating in the Stability Pact to do their utmost in implementing the Pact, while an optimum result will require co-ordinated planning of activities in all key areas. President Kucan expressed his belief that many a project can already start functioning efficiently now, however all the participants will need to look into the substantive aspects and into the roots of the Balkan tragedy as soon as possible, thus giving all those involved a sound common direction for restoring order in this area in the long-term. In his letter President Kucan expressed his expectation that the Sarajevo meeting will bind the recipients of aid to participate with each other as much as possible in implementing the Pact and that they take on obligations which will more rapidly draw them nearer to European standards and the European way of life. For until the rule of human rights, stable and open borders, and an open path to prosperity are established in the Balkans, there will be no stable, safe and successful Europe. Kucan also agrees with Clinton on his views concerning free trade, which is also of practical interest to Slovenia as founding member of the WTO, and to which Slovenia can be of great help with its experience. As member of the Pact together with countries such as Hungary, Austria, Italy, Greece and Turkey, Slovenia, as a close neighbour of this unstable region with 70 years of political experience in the Balkans, is obliged to take on a special part of the responsibility for the democratisation and economic reconstruction of the region. Slovenia does not see an advantage for the implementation of the pact in the idea of a special political and economic region uniting the recipients of aid and surrounding countries providing such aid, for it is the interest and responsibility of all states taking part in the Pact. However, Slovenia is prepared to directly co-operate with the recipients of aid in joint project planning in order for the implementation of the Pact to be as effective and efficient as possible. The unnecessary deficiencies that could hinder the great efforts being presently made by Europe and the Atlantic alliance in the Balkans could thus be avoided.