Slovenia's diplomacy is facing big challenges, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said in an address to Slovenian diplomats. In practical terms, this means more work without much more resources, in particular over the next two years, said Jansa, referring to Slovenia's stint at the helm of the OSCE and its presidency over the EU later on.
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who also addressed the traditional meeting of Slovenian diplomats on Tuesday, said that the government would adopt a plan for the preparations for the EU presidency this month.
Speaking during the opening of the annual gathering at Brdo pri Kranju, Jansa said the country's entry into the European Economic and Monetary Union required a thrifty public finance policy, something that he believes does not leave much room for manoeuvring. Many things therefore will not be able to be accomplished, Jansa added.
Speaking of domestic policy priorities springing from foreign policy frameworks, Jansa highlighted the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. According to him, Slovenia must restructure its budget so as to be fit to draw money from European funds.
Both Jansa and Rupel underscored that Slovenia had a share in the responsibility for the situation in the international community. According to the PM, Slovenia now for the first time is in a position to act on the global, regional and sub-regional levels.
"Some regional affairs are important not only because of our OSCE presidency, but also from the aspect of European security and stability and from the aspect of Slovenia's bilateral political and economic relations," Rupel said.
During its stint at the OSCE helm, Slovenia will have to be aware that it is not at odds with anyone and that it has friends in the East as well as in the West. The country will act with caution and tact within the OSCE, rather than hold positions that will not allow for consensus to be reached.
According to the minister, Slovenia will dedicate an equal attention to the problems of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, although it will be committed in particular to constructive policies towards the Western Balkans.
"We see many problems east of Vienna, but we are not deluding ourselves about those that exist or appear west of Vienna as well," Rupel said in his address to the diplomats gathered in the Brdo Mansion some 25 kilometres north of Ljubljana.
Slovenia's turn at the helm of the EU will require additional staff, funds and an extremely well-organised work of the government, the Foreign Ministry, the Standing Mission in Brussels and other Slovenian diplomatic missions, in particular in the EU member states.
Along with Germany and Portugal, Slovenia is expected to make part of the first troika to preside over the EU from the beginning of 2007 to mid-2008, or, if the European constitution is not put in effect, hold the EU's rotating presidency in the first half of 2008.
Speaking of the relations with Croatia, the foreign minister said that although complicated in some areas, they were not bad. "We'll be closely following Croatia's results in meeting EU standards, especially those concerning the European understanding of consensual and multilateral approach to contentious issues - including those related to the Slovenian-Croatian border issue."
Prime Minister Jansa reiterated that the EU's further enlargement was in Slovenia's strategical interests. "However, none would benefit from an enlargement that would jeopardise common security," Jansa said. He believes that this aspect will be even more important in the future.
Rupel also said that he had already proposed to his Croatian counterpart Miomir Zuzul for both countries to set up an independent commission of experts to examine the history of Slovenian-Croatian relations in the 20th century.
PM Jansa dedicated a great part of his address to the current global order. He believes the world is fragmented and unprepared to deal with the challenges emerging after the end of the Cold War. This is something that is reflected in the region of the former Soviet Union as well as within the United Nations.
However, Jansa does not think the imbalance of power leads to a unipolar world; there is no rivalry among the super powers, while there is also a relatively high level of strategic stability.
Minister Rupel meanwhile underscored that the EU and the United States shared the same values, although their relations had cooled off in the aftermath of the US intervention in Iraq.
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