The three state presidents attending the Bratislava Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC) between April 12 and 14 said the most effective way to contribute to the solution of current European as well as global problems will be solving them on the national level, according to a GLOBSEC news release. Slovakia’s Ivan Gašparovič, Slovenia’s Danilo Türk and Croatia’s Ivo Josipović also supported further integration of the Balkan countries into the Euro-Atlantic structures, stated the organiser of the forum, the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC) in the release.
Though the presidents identified solutions to the current economic crisis in Europe as the priority, they also noted that the European Union was primarily established as a security project to protect Europe from war and ensure peace and stability. Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič, who opened the session that took place on Friday, April 13, said that it is necessary to deal with the possibilities of merging and sharing resources and opportunities in the area of defence and security.
“After joining NATO our attention diverted from security, however today we have to draw the attention this way again,” Gašparovič said, as quoted by the SAC press release, adding that the US is currently offering its European partners the opportunity to become responsible for these issues.
The role of the EU to support peace and stability of its members was also noted by Croatian President Ivo Josipović whose country has recently finished negotiations over joining the EU.
“The complicated relations with our neighbours are the inheritance of war,” Josipović told the participants in the forum. He added that though there is still need to start cooperating more cogently and responsibly, relations in the Balkan have improved compared to the past.
Danilo Türk stressed that in addition to consolidation of the European economy, it is also necessary to broaden the participation of citizens in EU decision-making to increase the ability of the union to prepare more adequate responses to global economic and security challenges.
Source: GLOBSEC press release
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
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