Following talks with the President of the United States and the President of the Russian Federation

Brdo pri Kranju, 16 June 2001

Milan KUCAN
My first talks with both presidents have shown that the goals and points of departure which they are applying in tackling issues in relation to peace, security, prosperity, and particularly with the expansion of these values to the entire European continent are not too distant from one another and are also very close to the values supported by Slovenia. We can be hopeful of a good result, a good result for both countries, a good result for all of us, for humanity. If all goes well, we will be able to say that Slovenia is a very good ally in these efforts to both countries.

Reporter
Did you also talk to the presidents of the US and Russia, Bush and Putin, about the situation in the Balkans?

Milan KUCAN
Of course. In these highly substantive and concentrated talks, we also discussed this question. The question namely is, whether the time is ripe to tell the Balkan nations what principles and what values they must apply to settle their relations between states and within individual states, between majority and minority communities. Also, that these are principles that are laid down in the main Helsinki document and in the Paris charter, and that sooner or later all European countries, since this is a European problem, will have to sit down around a table and stress: this is what we want, here is where we'll help, this is what we don't want and what we'll prevent with all the means at our disposal. Following that, a consensus will have to be reached on this and this consensus will have to be insisted on. One of the great disadvantages is that sometimes the impression is made that such a consensus is not there.

Reporter
The hottest spot in the Balkans currently is Macedonia, of course. I suppose you also discussed the current situation in Macedonia and the ways of resolving this crisis, which is increasingly escalating into a war?

Milan KUCAN
The situation in Macedonia actually triggered our discussion on the situation in the Balkans, since that situation in a way illustrates what is going on. I informed both presidents of my talks with President Trajkovski yesterday. He is very determined and brave. Yesterday he sat all parties around the table. He said let's start where you said the constitution is contentious. What do you think should be changed in the constitution? No proposals were made to date and the attitude towards this showed who truly wants to find a political solution and who is perhaps only using the relations between the Macedonian nation and the Albanian majority, which are an objective problem, as a pretext to cover up other aims.

Reporter
Did the presidents perhaps comment your explanation of the situation?

Milan KUCAN
They did. Both of them said that nowhere, even here, can weapons be used as a means of resolving problems. And here, too, solutions need to be found on the basis of the same system of values, taking into account the same principles and the same criteria as apply to others.

Reporter
Mister President, how do you interpret the external impression that Russian President Putin is more concerned as regards the Balkan crisis than his counterpart, US President George Bush, Jr.?

Milan KUCAN
I did not get that impression in our talks. Of course, the press conference will be a good opportunity for you to ask that. I shouldn't like to comment their views.