Jansa Believes Pace of EU Presidency Preparations Is Adequate
PM Janez Jansa believes that if compared with other states which were to take on EU presidency for the first time, the pace of Slovenia's preparations for the task is adequate, he told a traditional meeting of Slovenian diplomats on Wednesday.
He stressed that alongside the implementation of economic and social reforms, the preparations for EU presidency are the government's top priority, as he addressed the meeting focusing on EU presidency preparations.
Jansa added that Slovenia is already working together with Portugal and Germany as the two countries preceding it at the helm of the EU, as well as with other EU members which could help with experience.
FM Dimitrij Rupel, on the other hand, stressed that the country's successful OSCE chairmanship was a good test of state and international credibility and capability ahead of EU presidency, which is due in 2008.
Rupel moreover said that the experience gained during OSCE chairmanship was a solid basis for leading the EU. Preparing the contents of Slovenia's EU presidency will be one of priority tasks of the Foreign Ministry, he added.
According to Rupel, the Western Balkans and neighbourhood policy are the most likely issues on which Slovenia would focus as EU chair-in-office. Slovenia also intends to give priority to the role of the EU as global player, inter-civilisational dialogue, energy and regions.
In their respective addresses, both Jansa and Rupel touched also on current foreign policy issues, which are also on the agenda of the two-day meeting of diplomats.
According to the prime minister, there was no essential progress regarding Slovenia's relations with Croatia in 2005, although Ljubljana did show its readies for a fresh start with Zagreb.
After a promising start in the first half of 2005, Croatia took an "unreasonable" step by entering bilateral talks with Italy on the division of continental shelf in the Adriatic, Jansa said.
"This act was fatal," Jansa stressed. He however believes that Croatia's EU accession talks have opened a new field for settling the relations with Zagreb.
Meanwhile, Rupel stressed that Croatia should understand that its negative policy toward Slovenia influences public opinion, and this could also affect Slovenia's decisions in Brussels.
He is convinced that the two countries should agree on and respect certain common principles. Slovenia will continue to support Croatia's EU and NATO accessions, Rupel said, adding that he expected Croatia to act in line with EU and NATO standards.
The foreign minister also pointed to the need for "the country to speak with one voice" in foreign policy, which is defined by the government and parliament. Moreover, diplomats are obliged to represent Slovenia's official foreign policy.
Furthermore, Rupel believes the diplomats should bring Slovenia's official standpoints closer to the public, especially in the countries with which Slovenia still has some unresolved issues.
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