Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič addressed the 14th Summit of Central European Presidents in Brno

The President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gašparovič, attended the 14th summit of the Central European Presidents held in Brno which hosted 15 presidents of the CEE countries. The presidents of Germany, Slovenia and Ukraine apologised for their absence. The summit focused on the internal stability of the Central and Eastern European region, recent developments in Ukraine and the current situation in the Western Balkans, in particular the Kosovo issue. The Czech Republic supports the UN-led talks on the future status of Kosovo but believes that it should reflect the opinions of the people living in this province.

 At the Brno summit, the Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolánek, presented his country’s opinion on the construction of a missile defence shield in the Czech Republic. According to Topolánek, the defence shield is an inevitable measure which will increase Europe’s security against the backdrop of an ever increasing risk of global terrorism. Mirek Topolánek further advocated the cancellation of barriers separating old and new European Union Member States.

 Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov appreciated that the issue of the Western Balkans was also part of the summit agenda. The European perspective of the Western Balkans represents the best incentive for the economic and social reforms that will ultimately result in the stability of this European region. The Hungarian President, László Sólyom, said that Hungary backed the integration effort of the Western Balkan countries, adding, however, that each country must meet its respective accession criteria.

 The presidents of Moldova and Italy, Vladimir Vornonin and Giorgio Napolitano respectively, also contributed to the discussion. Both top officials acknowledged further enlargement of the European Union. Voronin noted that without absolute sovereignty and integrity, Moldova was unable to join the EU. The EU’s further enlargement was also supported by Romanian President Traian Basescu. Boris Tadič, head of the Republic of Serbia, reiterated that his country would not waive its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ivan Gašparovič presented Slovakia’s standpoint on the future status of Kosovo. The Slovak Republic, an elected UN Security Council member, thoroughly monitors the situation in the Western Balkans and wants to be a responsible player in the global politics emphasising the necessity of the European perspective for the Western Balkan countries. Kosovo represents the most crucial problem in this context. Ivan Gašparovič appreciated Serbia’s repeated inclination to its European perspective, and its democratisation process, as well as the contribution Boris Tadič had made to this. The status of Kosovo is part of the UN Security Council agenda and the Council bears considerable responsibility for adopting a decision that would not harm any party involved in this dispute. Slovakia is prepared to endorse a final uniform decision on the status of Kosovo. “Mutual respect, tolerance, acceptance and cooperation are the best recipe for the spreading of peace and stability in the region,” Ivan Gašparovič said. Adopting a consensual decision should be the primary objective. The situation in the Western Balkans influences developments in Europe and therefore, the Slovak President believes, the future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union.