CELEBRATORY DINNER ON HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Toast by the President of the Republic of Slovenia Milan Kucan
Official visit to Moldova

Chisinau (Moldova), 10 July 2002


Esteemed President Voronin,
Esteemed Mrs Voronin,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I should like first of all to thank you, on my own behalf and on behalf of my wife and my entourage, for the invitation and warm reception in your country. We are delighted with this opportunity to become acquainted, at least in passing, with Moldova, its charms, characteristics and special features, and to feel the pulse of life of its people. I believe that our personal meeting here will contribute to opening up numerous prospects for fruitful cooperation between Moldova and Slovenia. I am thinking particularly of economic cooperation, although of course in Slovenia we also desire greater contacts in culture and in other fields, which stand out with increasing prominence as the true wealth of each country, including Moldova, and which disclose their true identity.

Contacts between people, nations and states are becoming so to speak the primary condition for fruitful coexistence in the globalised world, which has become a fact and reality that we are living more or less consciously. Such a world appeals for greater familiarity between peoples, nations and states, and for understanding, respect and accommodation of all the diversity on our planet. For this reason increasing value may be ascribed to the cultural and spiritual identity of each nation, internally strong, open to others and to what is different, self-confident and respectful towards others. A world ordered in this way has every prospect of linking firmly into a human community, which will acknowledge to all of its parts the right to a future that will be socially more just, and will also offer to the whole world greater hope for a secure and peaceful life.

Europe bears great responsibility for such a future of the world. It will play its part successfully in the globalised world if there is in the common European home sufficient space for all the diversity that springs from its soil. Enlargement of the European Union is the realistic path towards a united Europe, just as we established at the meeting of presidents of Central European countries, where you yourself, Mr President, participated intensively and made an important contribution to the success of the meeting. I should like to thank you once again, as the host of this meeting today, for your contribution to successful dialogue, which sent out a very clear message. We were as one that the borders of Europe extend as far as the rule of European values, founded on the respect for human life, dignity and rights. We said that Europe will be a safe continent with a future and with a role suitable for itself in the globalised world, if it can live in accordance with the values that allow the coexistence of diversity and can charge every person with responsibility for their actions towards others.

Reality is usually far from desires and expectations. The Moldovan saying, “if you have nothing beautiful, may what you have be beautiful”, holds great truth. Yet it is also true that Europe and the world are changing and becoming linked, and it will also be possible therefore to create something beautiful, a united Europe and a more just world.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there are no unresolved issues between Slovenia and Moldova, and there are a great many opportunities for cooperation. Our economics minister, Dr Tea Petrin, and the business representatives wish to take advantage of this, and have come to your country with justified anticipation. And Slovenia is at your disposal, with its experiences in association with the European Union and with its knowledge of reform, restructuring of companies and appropriate education.

I believe in fruitful cooperation between Moldova and Slovenia. I therefore take special pleasure in raising my glass to Moldova and to the prosperity of its people, to our cooperation, to a united Europe, to a secure and peaceful world, to you, Mr President, to you, Mrs Voronin, and to all of you, esteemed ladies and gentlemen.