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The Future of Europe: A Peaceful and Prosperous Community of European States

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Let me avail myself of this opportunity and thank for the privilege to address this conference that for the past two days has been giving the participants opportunities to contemplate the changes that have taken place on the European continent in the past decade, the hitherto course of the transformation of Eastern Europe, and the prospects of our continent. I feel privileged to be given an opportunity to address the audiences towards the close of this conference, and give a sweeping overview of the issues posed above, to put forward a vision of Europe, as seen by one of the countries, currently undergoing the transformation process.

For centuries, Europe has been the abode of many different nations, big or small, whose coexistence in the past was interlaced with bright periods of flourish and growth, as well as the periods of mutual rivalry, or even hatred that outgrew into armed conflicts. Only as late as the 20th century, after two particularly bitter military conflicts at its beginning, for the first time ever, a system promoting collaboration between the countries and democracy in them that ensures peace and security to their nations was first started.

Even though the system was initially confined to the western part of the European continent, since it took a longer time for the eastern regions of Europe to embark on the road of democracy, eventually, the desire for freedom, democracy, and the life in a thriving society has triumphed in Central and East European countries. This desire has made the Iron Curtain that once divided the European continent in an unnatural and irrational way, collapse.

Anyone, irrespective of the part of the world in which he or she lives, craves for a peaceful and untroubled life. There are at least two factors that condition such life, namely, the feeling of security and an appropriate standard of living. In the retrospect, in the past few decades of the development in Europe, two facts come to the forefront: by virtue of a social market economy, fair competition, and economic cooperation within the European Union framework, the countries of Western Europe have been able to ensure welfare and a high standard of living to their inhabitants. By enforcing democratic values and principles, and by integrating their military potential with the North American countries within the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance, these nations have been ensured peace and untroubled life, void of military conflicts.

Hence, it is no wonder that even the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, after getting rid of the yoke of totalitarianism, after decades of experiencing totalitarian regimes, and after professing the principles and values of democracy, link their future with the integration into the mentioned structures.

In 1999, ten years shall have passed from the time, when the people of former Czechoslovakia voiced their desire to change the society's system in the Velvet Revolution. The Velvet Revolution facilitated the transformation of the society, the opening up of the border, and has ushered in two sovereign states, one of which is the Slovak Republic. Although from the historical viewpoint, a decade is not a long period of time, in my opinion, the achievements of this period are remarkable. The extent and scope of the transformation of the entire society, the economy, and the mindset of the people are truly unique. I daresay, that he who reflects on a Europe from several years back, divided by the Iron Curtain, and now travels to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, can personally witness the sweeping changes that have taken place in this part of the world. The transformation of a socialist state to a democratic one has entailed vital changes in all the areas of life. The establishment of a democratic political and social structure, the rule of law, the set-up of new political parties, and a pluralist parliamentary system are but a few of the exacting tasks that have been met. Let us remember that only a decade ago, our socialist economy was plan-controlled, and in ten years, the country has managed to establish a market economy with all its attributes; companies, trade, and banks have been privatised, and the country has embarked on the road of competition. Let me give an example - currently, 55 per cent of the export of the Slovak Republic is destined for the markets of the European Union countries, and almost 90 per cent (89.9) of Slovak export is destined for the OECD countries.

I have listed but a few examples to give you a better picture of what the transformation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe has inevitably entailed. Of course, the transformation process has not been completed yet. For the time being, neither the country's standard of living, nor labour productivity can fully compete with the West European countries - after all, to change a dictatorship system to a democratic one, to change the socialist command economy to a market economy cannot be accomplished overnight. However, one thing is certain: democracy that has been established in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is irreversible. The people, for decades personally experiencing the consequences of a communist system, will hardly tolerate any attempts whatsoever to abandon the road of democracy, to go in another direction. Even in this particularly difficult period of transformation, the faith in a better future, a higher living standard in a democratic and prosperous State, gives them the strength to overcome the hardships and is the motivator of their work.

Also, it is important not to forget the past and draw lessons from it. On the other hand, however, it is equally important to have visions for the future. This conference is a good opportunity to reflect on the past decade that has lapsed from an event of historical significance to the European continent, and this is an opportune moment to pose the question where Europe is going, and, above all, where would we like to see it go. The organisers of this event have placed a question mark after the heading of my paper. In my opinion, we needn't be concerned, as the heading expresses exactly what we truly desire, and I daresay that all of us will agree on this very point, irrespective of whether we're from a West or East European country, namely: all of us want to live in a peaceful and prosperous community of European states. How else could we cope with the globalisation trend and the increasingly fierce competition pressure in international markets? Europe can be strong on the condition that it is united and the individual countries cooperate and coordinate their actions. A glance at the geographic map of the world, and comparing other continents with the size of European countries will make you realise that only integrated Europe has the chance to win the position of the decisive force in international politics or global markets.

The Slovak Republic considers the enlargement of the European Union a kind of bridge that will help achieve a united Europe. Without the integration of Central and Eastern Europe into the European Union, the project of the European integration cannot be deemed complete. It is vital to cope with such issues as labour productivity, the standard of living, and also training opportunities, and the self-fulfilment of individuals.

In this ongoing transformation process, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe need a helping hand and the experiences of western countries that have been building a democratic society with a market economy for several decades. I believe that giving a helping hand to us, the countries in transition, and sharing experiences with us, is also in the interest of western countries. In my opinion, the quintessential fact of life, ushered by the year 1989, and which should be always borne in mind, is that after a thousand-year development in Europe, accompanied by smaller or bigger military conflicts, we are given, for the first time ever, an opportunity to make our dream of a peaceful, safe, prosperous, and cooperating Europe come true.

Sometimes, we seem to be losing track of this main goal, this common vision of the future of Europe, largely due to numerous topical problems and difficulties that the countries of Western and Eastern Europe are bound to cope with. Currently, the EU member countries take action to reform its institutions and the manner in which the Union operates, to make it ready for the accession of new members, and so that it can operate efficiently after new countries become its members. From our perspective, we are positive that the issues pertaining to the Agenda 2000 and the future functioning of the European Union will be resolved and a new modus vivendi found as soon as possible, so that the moment the first associated countries from Central and Eastern Europe are fully prepared for the Union integration, the enlargement can effectively take place. Of course, I realise that a lot of work needs to be done on our part as well. The completion of economic and social transformation, the harmonisation with acquis communautaire and the legal norms applicable in the EU, institution-building, the training of human resources are among the vital objectives currently worked on.

As far as the Slovak Republic is concerned, let me assure you that the country works on the above issues very hard. True, for the time being, the Slovak Republic is not among the associated countries with which accession negotiations are being held, and neither is it among the countries that are to become the new NATO members. However, this should be understood as a consequence of the style of rule, local political problems, the shaping and maturing of the political life in Slovakia, rather than the idleness of economic, social, or legislative transformation. The Slovak Republic is among the youngest European states that has became a sovereign state after many centuries, and just like anything one has to learn in life, the art of rule, the use of power, democracy and its institutions, the communication with political partners and opponents, must also be first learnt. After the first years of the development of an independent republic, the people of the Slovak Republic, in the parliamentary elections of September last year, corroborated their desire to live in a State in which democratic principles were observed, and which at the same time headed for the Euro-Atlantic integration structures. The government that failed to meet the nation's expectations, was not given a new mandate. I am deeply convinced that the Slovak Republic boasts a stage of transformation and preparedness for the membership in Western structures comparable to that of the neighbouring countries in our region, and what it has failed to accomplish, will be quickly remedied, so that the country may be listed in the first group of countries of Central and Eastern Europe that aspire to acceding to the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.

The fact that the representatives of the Slovak Republic have been opened the door by our western partners is understood as a proof of the Slovak Republic being on the right road again. Also, I take it as a corroboration of the right direction and political objectives embarked on by the new government established on the basis of the results of the parliamentary elections held in Slovakia in September last year. The formulation of our goals leans on the message conveyed to us by the citizens of Slovakia: by their voting, they made it clear that they did not wish the policy of the diversion of the Slovak Republic from the integration into western structures to continue. Hence, among our strategic goals in foreign policy is the membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.

As regards our membership of the European Union, we are determined to make all our homework and meet the stipulated conditions prior to the upcoming summit of the European Council in Cologne, in June. It is hoped that after a new evaluation report on Slovakia is elaborated by the European Commission this year, the Slovak Republic will be invited to the accession negotiations at the EU summit in Helsinki at the latest. Let me note that the greater part of the conditions pertaining to internal politics, for which Slovakia was rebuked in the past, have been met to date. The free and democratic course of municipal elections in December last year, the representation of opposition political entities on parliamentary and other-than-parliamentary bodies, a turnaround in the approach to national minorities, or meeting the pre-election pledge of the current government to pass a law on direct presidential elections, serve a good example of this. Our government has adopted economic measures with a view to solidify the fundaments of an open market economy. It is appreciated that the European Council, at its December summit in Vienna, corroborated Slovakia's place in the accession process and the inclusiveness of this process.

The guarantees of stability, peace, and security are especially vital for the development of the countries of our continent. Over the past 50 years, the North Atlantic Alliance has been an active agent safeguarding democracy and values that unite its members, and it has managed to ensure a peaceful development of these countries. After the cold war, it was questioned whether further existence of the North Atlantic Alliance was justified. However, the development in Europe after the cold war has compelled us of the need of its preservation. The tragedy in the territory of former Yugoslavia has shown that the North Atlantic Alliance has the potential and capacity for action, to avert a development jeopardising international security, and to halt humanitarian disaster, which, regrettably, continues on the European continent.

The transatlantic partnership is of paramount importance, if an efficient European security architecture is to be built. The North Atlantic Alliance is deemed a guarantee of a stable and safe development in Europe. Also, it is vital to get Russia involved in the building of the European security architecture. The success of NATO which itself undergoes a transformation is that it is capable to respond to new threats to security and challenges. The Slovak Republic deems enlargement and the policy of open door indispensable parts of the ongoing transformation of NATO.

The Slovak Republic is prepared to assume its share of political and military responsibility for the stability in Europe, and all its activities in the area of collaboration with NATO are geared towards this goal. The membership in the North Atlantic Alliance is the overriding priority of the security policy of the Slovak Republic, and is among the priorities of its foreign policy. The Slovak Republic has been intensely working on the preparation for the membership in this organisation for several years. The tenacity of the integration efforts of the current Slovak government has also been manifested in the elaboration of the Programme of the Activation of the Foreign and Security Policies of the Slovak Republic, whereby among its fundamental goals is to expeditiously restore and strengthen the image of the Slovak Republic as a credible and stable partner, and by expanding political and military cooperation with the NATO member countries and neighbouring countries, to achieve a speedy integration of Slovakia into the Alliance. Also, we wish to continue to perfect the interoperability of the army of the Slovak republic that boasts a high standard acknowledged by NATO, with the Alliance armies. Part of our NATO pre-accession strategy and our interest to assume an ever-more weighty status within the framework of the European security system is also an active participation of the Slovak Republic in the activities of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Partnership for Peace. In near future, three countries neighbouring the Slovak Republic will accede to NATO, namely, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. This will be a historical act. Slovakia welcomes it, as the borderline of this alliance will immediately touch our border. It is to be hoped that the upcoming NATO summit in Washington will corroborate the policy of open door. The objective is that the Slovak Republic will be invited to the accession negotiations the first opportune moment after the first enlargement round will be completed. It is my conviction that the Slovak Republic has been left out from the NATO enlargement process only temporarily, and only after inviting our country to a full membership, the first wave of NATO enlargement shall be de facto completed. Hence, the differences in the security status of the Central European countries would be eliminated, and the natural integrity of the region of Visegrad countries would be restored.

If we are to speak of the building of the future security structure of Europe, one should not forget those structures that are to constitute its other parts, if it is to be a comprehensive architecture, and if a maximum effect is to be achieved through the use of the synergy effect of all its components. In our opinion, a comprehensive view of the future security architecture of Europe is not feasible without the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is considered the primary tool of conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation. The OSCE also establishes a framework for negotiations on the armaments control and disarmament, and for the security issue dialogue. The Slovak Republic furthers the drafting of the OSCE document, the European Security Charter. This document ought to spell out the principles of mutual cooperation of international organisations and the OSCE member countries in a common and indivisible security space.

Also, the Western European Union plays an important role in crisis management and the operations of humanitarian and rescue nature. Europe must be prepared to assume political and military responsibility for resolving pending issues in Europe. This is also in line with the attitude of the United States that makes an effort to have its European partners assume a greater foreign policy and security responsibility for the European continent. In global processes, the voice of Europe will be heard only if it is a single voice. For this reason, the Slovak Republic, being an EU membership candidate, attaches great importance to the development of the EU common foreign and security policy. This is intended to gradually evolve into a global European initiative, focusing on the enhancement of the Union's role in global processes, the enhancement of the capacity to cope with such risks as the proliferation of nuclear, bacteriological, and chemical weapons, organised crime, migration, and the like. Also, we are supportive of the plan of a stepwise integration of the Western European Union into the EU. The Amsterdam Treaty assumes a gradual building of a common defence policy, with the prospect of common defence. In the pre-accession period, the Slovak Republic participates in the CFSP to an extent facilitated by the framework of a multilateral political dialogue between the EU and associated countries, although the current involvement of Slovakia and other associated countries in the CFSP is, for understandable reasons, limited. Parallel with the expansion of cooperation within the CFSP, it is necessary to define European security and defence identity.

An indispensable part of the building of the security architecture of Europe is also the Council of Europe which, in close cooperation with the EU, the OSCE, and NATO, fulfils the tasks largely pertaining to the observance of human rights and democracy. The Slovak Republic will support the elaboration of an effective mechanism of cooperation that would capitalise on comparative advantages of each of the above organisations, with some room for their partial overlapping.

Distinguished participants,

the Slovak Republic is genuinely interested in the integration into a family of states that abide by the principles of democracy and profess common values, and it wishes to contribute its share to security, peace, and stability on the European continent. The government of the Slovak Republic perceives the status and future of our country in an integrating Europe as an indispensable and active part of the ongoing European and transatlantic integration processes. The current Slovak government is prepared to do everything that is necessary for our country to become a member of North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, which is the wish of the majority of the country's inhabitants. We are prepared to assume all the commitments associated with this membership.

In conclusion, allow me to underscore that the Slovak Republic perceives the integration process in Europe as being beneficial for all the countries of our continent. It not only enhances the stability in Europe, intensifies mutual cooperation, but also solidifies the international status of Europe. My sincere wish is never to lose the vision of a united Europe while overcoming current or future complex problems.