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CO-OPERATION EXIST ALSO IN THE SHAPING OF THE FUTURE TO SHARE
GRAND CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTEREUROPA D.D
Adress of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kucan
Portoroz, 30 May 1997
"The nations who have perceived and accepted the call of the time are aware of the fact that everyone has to make some slight concession in order to gain peace, freedom, progress, welfare and a safe and friendly future for everyone. One cannot only receive without giving something. The natural position of the countries today is not an isolation in their independence, but that of the co-operation on the basis of independence. Each country must be capable to assess its national interest and assert itself jointly with other countries, without intervening into the equal right status of the others. Only those nations and countries that are historically mature, with sufficient self confidence, self-reliance, and supported by the values of their own and the common European tradition of civilisation, are capable of doing so." Stressed president Kucan at celebration of the 50th anniversary of Intereuropa d.d.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 50th Anniversary is a respectable jubilee. As such it has to be celebrated. With memories and pride of the path crossed, with the experience of generations who have conceived and established your company, and which are slowly passing into our memory. Let me use this occasion to pay homage to the late Miran Turk the former director of Intereuropa who was my personal friend The jubilee can also be used to reflect on the present moment and the future, the development for a sort of "self forwarding" of Intereuropa into the future, with reflections on its ways into the 21 century.
In these fifty years Intereuropa has changed. But the change has not affected Intereuropa only, also its domestic environment has undergone a vital change; moreover, Europe is changing, the whole contemporary world is seething amidst the challenge of the whirling events.
The world has become small, interdependent and strongly competitive. Only those can sustain, exist and have future in it who are really good - better than others, whose ambition is high and who are capable enough to accomplish these ambitions. It cannot be measured - let alone fixed - which challenge in the course of development was more motivating and demanding: the one going back 50 years ago when it had to be started from nothing, or the current one, when Intereuropa has much to show: in its capacity, quality of services, business results and firm partnership with most respected freight forwarding companies in Europe and worldwide, and with domestic hauliers - and yet Intereuropa faces new demands of our restless time and challenging economic and social world. As dif ficult as the answer may be, it can be said that the challenges of the past and present time are simply - different.
We can say that Intereuropa did cope with this challenge, it kept the pace with the demand of the time, adapted itself to its requirements and subdued them. Intereuropa understood that its market was ample, broader than Slovenia and Europe, that it had to assert itself and find business in the world market, where only high quality, excellence and vigour to fight the competition counted. Intereuropa was self confident enough lo make the first step in this direction early enough. That made it much easier later on, because this path brought success. It can be an example for the others - those who fear to grasp at this mode of thinking and acting. However, there is no other good solution. Now is the time of competition, co-operation and association, and not the time of closing, withdrawal or exclusion, and even orientation towards a less troublesome past.
Having accepted these fundamental demands, by planning the future on the assumption of this perception, it is also possible to master the future. And he who masters the future can also decide about its fortune. This applies to the individual, the enterprise, the nation, and the state. Also the nation and the state must realise that now is the time to co-operate. The most frequent words now heard in Europe are peace, &eedom, progress, welfare and co-operation. Co-operation exists also in the shaping of the future to share. The nations who have perceived and accepted the call of the time are aware of the fact that everyone has to make some slight concession in order to gain peace, freedom, progress, welfare and a safe and friendly future for everyone. One cannot only receive without giving something. The natural position of the countries today is not an isolation in their independence, but that of the co-operation on the basis of independence. Each country must be capable to assess its national interest and assert itself jointly with other countries, without intervening into the equal right status of the others. Only those nations and countries that are historically mature, with sufficient self confidence, self-reliance, and supported by the values of their own and the common European tradition of civilisation, are capable of doing so.
The future of Intereuropa lies, as Mr Kranjc, Chairman of its Managing Board has just told us, in its programme restructuring. It should develop into a chief organiser of transportation with services on the level of international quality standards. I also understand it as classifying this activity into the national traffic system which is in these very days suffering a break-up (a real collapse) with long-range consequences for the national economy, as well as for the reputation of some of our vital business subsystems - that was gained with difficulty - and truthfully in their responsibility.
Intereuropa will thus contribute to the quality of the entire Slovene range of products, services and know-how. The quality under the trademark 'made in Slovenia', which will distinguish Slovenia, the Slovene enterprises and the Slovene people in Europe and worldwide. In spite of our smallness - and for the sake of it, which, except for the excellence, does not grant us many other competitive advantages in the process of globalisation, regionalisation and internationalisation of the world economies that are currently underway in the world and encounter us. We can all only accept the challenge of this course of events - here I refer to all of us, from top of the country, we can all win and co-operate in the swing of the new driving force of development Europe.
The access of Slovenia to these modem processes means pursuing our developmental opportunities. Not so much for us who are today on the threshold of decision to be admitted to these processes, to enter the European Union. It chiefly means to create development opportunities for the young, the new generations of Slovenia. For the generations whom the information technology provides communication with the whole world. For the generations that find free flow of goods and services, people and capital taken for granted. Also for those who are not born yet. We are accountable to all of them with our decision. To close the perspective to them, to rob them of the future that their peers will be enjoying elsewhere in Europe, we have no right to do so. We have no right to lay into their cradle an adverse future and anxiety that we have experienced ourselves and even more the generations before us. Everyone who is currently in charge of the management of the country of Slovenia should be aware of that.
Evident and existentially vital is such a decision for you, Intereuropa, too. It makes no point to persuade you about the necessity of our way to Europe. It would make sense that you would tell others what it really means to be included in Europe. And what is more, what it means to remain outside Europe and expose oneself to discrimination and isolation. I am convinced that at this very moment, you at Intereuropa know the answer to the key development question: WHAT? What should Intereuropa be like in the future? I sincerly wish that you would find, as soon as possible, the whole set of answers to the question: HOW? How to achieve these bold worthy objectives?
The questions whether you can do it and know how to achieve it, are redundant. You know how and you can do it. The proof is your golden jubilee.
I sincerely congratulate you, Mr Chairman, and your staff members and the whole staff of Intereuropa. Luck is with those who are brave. You have the courage. And the knowledge on which your courage is based.
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