AND NATO

SLOVENIA’S WAY INTO NATO

Slovenia is carrying out intensive prepara- Slovenia is aware that the tasks and goals made, among them in the field of publ ic sup- tions for and activities connected with inte- set out in the Annual National Programme for port for NATO membership. The effort to gration into the Alliance in political, legal, the Implementation of the Membership increase the public awareness and support was security, defence, , financial and Action Plan (ANP/MAP) 2001-2002 must be strongly and unequivocally demonstrated by other fields. implemented, and that this will be under the the public presentation of opinions in the Slovenia fulfils the basic criteria for NATO constant scrutiny of NATO. One of the most National Assembly on 16 January 2002 enti- membership, published in the NATO important activities of this kind was the tled: Slovenia prior to the NATO Summit in Enlargement Paper in 1995: NATO team of experts’ visit to , Prague, at which the President of the Repub- • stable democratic social and political from 12 to 15 February 2002, during which lic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the system; Slovenia’s membership preparations in indi- National Assembly, the Foreign and Defence • functioning market economy; vidual areas were closely examined. Ministers, the Chief of the General Staff of the • respect for human rights; An analysis of the ANP/MAP 2001-2002 so Slovenian Armed Forces, the opposition lead- • civilian control of armed forces; far shows successful implementation of tasks er in the National Assembly, the Director of • good relations with neighbouring coun- and goals. Yet at the same time Slovenia is the Public Relations and Media Office, tries. aware that some improvements have to be numerous deputies and others resolutely

30th March 1994 – Signature of the Framework Document by Slovenia. Signed by Janez Drnovsek (Prime Minister). (Photo: NATO)

NATO’S NATIONS AND PARTNERS FOR PEACE SPECIAL ISSUE 1/2002 21 SLOVENIA AND NATO

advocated Slovenia’s membership in NATO. most important investors in the SEE region, COOPERATING WITH , Opponents of Slovenia’s membership also particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina where AND presented their views, including two National Slovenia is the leading foreign investor. Assembly deputies. The Director of the Slovenia has been cooperating with Italy, NATO Office of Information and Press, Dr. Hungary and Croatia in the “Quadrilateral Jamie Shea, appeared as a special guest. The Initiative”, and Italian-Hungarian-Slovenian event was broadcast live on national TV. HARMONIZING is being formed THE LAWS within this cooperation. On November 28, 2001, the National Assembly adopted the “Long-Term Program PUBLIC OPINION for Restructuring the Slovenian Armed Forc- THE ITF The most extensive public opinion poll in es”. The aim of the program is to form a mod- The International Trust Fund for Demining the past few years (on this question) was con- ern, efficient and realistic force which will and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), headquar- ducted in 420 places throughout Slovenia in provide national defence, participate in the tered at Ig near Ljubljana, has demined more November 2001 by the Public Opinion Poll system of collective defence and contribute to than one half of the entire cleared territory in Centre. The results were published in January security in the region. Bosnia-Herzegovina. The ITF, also active in 2002 and showed that 53% of the persons In March 2002 the Parliament passed the Croatia and , has concluded its activ- polled supported Slovenia’s joining NATO, law eliminating the ban on the entry of nucle- ities in and started demining operations 24% were against it and 23% were undecided. ar powered combat ships or ships with nuclear in Macedonia. It has also signed a cooperation Only 4% of the persons interviewed believed weapons in Slovene waters. agreement with the FRY. So far, the ITF has that Slovenia would never join NATO; 24% received donations of over US$75 million from believed that Slovenia would become an Alli- 23 countries and 25 donor organizations and ance member by 2004; 33% thought that this companies. would happen sometime during the years AFTER SEPTEMBER 11 In December 2001, the US Congress allo- 2005 to 2008; and 7% believed that this would Slovenia has been actively engaged in the cated USD 14 million for matching donations happen after 2008. fight against terrorism through the exchange in the fiscal year 2002 defence budget. of intelligence information, the prevention of money laundering and illegal immigration, etc. TO ENSURE SLOVENIA’S SLOVENIA AND SEE After the September 11 attacks in the USA OWN SECURITY Slovenia is well aware of its role in contrib- Slovenia was also among the first countries to In January 2001, the non-partisan Slovene uting to security in the region of South-East offer support to the US (plasma, forensic Committee on NATO was established, in Europe. In this spirit it has been actively par- experts and assistance in search and rescue which most members are representatives of the ticipating in NATO-led peace support opera- operations). civil society, of academia and intellectuals. The tions. There are 110 Slovenian Armed Forces On November 7, 2001, the House of Repre- task of the committee is to promote support for members and 20 civilian police officers with- sentatives in the US Congress adopted the Slovenia’s accession to NATO and to organise in the SFOR, KFOR, UNMIK and other Gerald B. Solomon Freedom Consolidation different public panels, meetings and discus- organizations (OSCE in Kosovo and Macedo- Act supporting further NATO enlargement. sions. Slovenia is one of the initiators of the Vil- nia). In addition to the present contribution, According to this Act, Slovenia should receive nius Group of candidate countries for NATO Slovenia will assign an additional Combat USD 4.5 million in assistance in the fiscal year membership. In April 2001, a meeting of polit- Company from the 10th Motorized Battalion to 2002. A similar act was also adopted by the ical directors from foreign ministries of the Vil- SFOR. This company, consisting of 109 Senate Committee on International Relations. nius Group was held, in which Croatia took part troops, will be trained for action in compliance In June 2001, an agreement was reached for the first time. In October 2001, a meeting of with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty pro- between the US and the ministers of foreign affairs of the Vilnius Group viding collective defence for Member Coun- on the use of the port as a logistics base for the was held in Bled, at which a joint statement was tries, thereby attaining one of the partnership supply and transport of US military units with- adopted. The main focus of the meeting – in goals. in SFOR. This was carried out successfully addition to NATO enlargement – was joint Slovenia is also active in the Stability Pact from 20 August to 6 October 2001. combat against terrorism. for South-Eastern Europe (in which it partici- Thanks to the International Military Educa- Slovenia is well aware of the fact that, pates as a contributor and carries out econom- tion and Training Program (IMET), 200 Slov- despite evident progress made, it cannot ic and other projects), as well as SECI, the CEI enian Army officers, taking part in one-month indulge in self-satisfaction but must continue to and the NATO initiatives SEEGROUP and or longer training programs, have received endeavour to meet membership criteria to the SEECAP. Slovene companies are among the training in the US since 1993. best of its abilities.

22 NATO’S NATIONS AND PARTNERS FOR PEACE SPECIAL ISSUE 1/2002