KOSOVO MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WITH MINISTER SCHARPING

Ljubljana, 19 October 1999



The President of the Republic, Mr Milan Kucan, received Rudolf Scahrping, Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany, today. Minister Scharping and his delegation are on an official visit to Slovenia. The talks were also attended by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Slovenia, Ms Heike Zenker, and the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Franci Demsar. Along with issues relating to bilateral relations between the two states, the collocutors also discussed the further enlargement of NATO and the capacity of the Slovenian defence system for cooperation with NATO and participation in international peacekeeping operations, the outstanding issues in the situation and developments in Kosovo and in the Balkans, as well as the policy and measures undertaken by the international community in order to stabilise the area. They agreed that it is possible to take an optimistic view of these developments, although one needs to remain continually aware of the sensitivity, complexity and strain of inter-ethnic conflict on this territory. Any partial solutions would inevitably have negative consequences for this entire area. It is therefore necessary to seek and provide an integral concept for the appeasement of the situation and of relations throughout the Balkan region.