On Saturday 24 March, as part of his two-day visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Dr. Janez Drnovšek accepted the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to attend a working dinner in the Kremlin. The dinner was arranged following the qualifying soccer match between Slovenia and Russia for the 2002 World Cup, which President Putin was unable to attend as initially planned owing to the explosion of bombs in southern Russia. In the President’s place, the match was watched with Prime Minister Dr. Drnovšek by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. In light of this development, on his arrival at the presidential palace of the Russian Federation Dr. Drnovšek conveyed to his host his condolences over the unnecessary human losses claimed by these attacks, and underlined the need to resolve the crisis in a peaceful and constructive manner.

During the dinner, which was held in a very friendly atmosphere in President Putin’s Kremlin suite, there was an exchange of several views on current foreign policy issues around the world. Considerable attention was also devoted to the situation in South Eastern Europe. Here President Putin expressed concern at developments in the region, especially in Macedonia. Prime Minister Dr. Drnovšek agreed that the situation was complicated and that it was further hampered by the fact that around the world there was less willingness to become involved in this area than previously. The international community expected a status quo situation to be maintained for the next few years, but that situation is now being threatened by the activities of armed groups. Although there are no ideal solutions, the most pragmatic and constructive approach in the current circumstances is still that which focuses on support for the moderate Albanian political groups which should in dialogue with the Macedonians contribute to a calming of the situation. Indeed Macedonia is a factor of stability n the region, and as such must remain an area of peace.

The talks also touched upon certain issues linked to the European Union and the process of its enlargement. Here President Putin expressed his satisfaction over the talks he had just concluded at the extraordinary summit of the European Council in Stockholm. He stressed the importance he ascribes to the need for candidate countries to maintain their economic links with Russia after accession to the European Union, and he drew attention to the fact that Russia is now conducting around half of its foreign trade precisely with European Union countries. Prime Minister Dr. Drnovšek assured President Putin of Slovenia’s interest in cooperation with Russia, and went on to acquaint the President with the proposals for a possible resolving of the clearing debt of the former Soviet Union towards the former SFR Yugoslavia, which should contribute to the enhancing of mutual economic and political cooperation.

At the end of the dinner President Putin stated that Prime Minister Dr. Drnovšek’s visit to Moscow represented an exceptionally beneficial move. He expressed interest in continued contacts and underlined the willingness of the Russian side both on the formal and informal level to intensify its relations with Slovenia. Prime Minister Dr. Drnovšek welcomed this approach, and invited the Russian President to visit Ljubljana. President Putin thanked him for this invitation and stressed his wish to make such a visit, which would also reflect his interest in the entire region, which he has not yet visited.