Slovak President holds talks with Croatian President Mesic

President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič held talks with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. Mesic described Slovakia as an example of a country capable of accomplishing its objectives in a short time, including both its economic transformation and its integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. In his opinion, Slovakia’s achievements are an example his country should follow. The two officials also discussed the Kosovo issue.

The Croatian President said that this problem affects the stability of the whole region and that he saw no reason for separating Serbia from this territory. Stjepan Mesic called the Kosovo issue a major problem of not only Serbia but the whole region, since Kosovo had represented a constitutional unit within the former Yugoslavian federation. The Croatian President said he had recommended to his Serbian counterpart a confederation model for Serbia-Kosovo relations but, at the same time, questioned whether such a model was feasible.

According to President Ivan Gašparovič, a federation or confederation would be the most convenient solution to the Kosovo issue. This option however, says Gašparovič, is at this moment already out of the question as the Athisaari plan solely pursues the independence of the Kosovo province. Slovakia, as a member of the UN Security Council, NATO and the EU will not oppose a uniform decision on Kosovo, but its standpoint will attempt to highlight the sensitivity of this problem, adds the Slovak President. As regards the EU enlargement, Gašparovič says Croatia may rely on Slovakia’s support for its integration ambitions, despite the problems the EU is currently faced with.