LJUBLJANA, Feb 4 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Monday accused the leading media in the country of undermining through a persistent and aggressive campaign the official policy's credibility in the country's
candidacy for membership in NATO. According to some estimates, next to Estonia, Letonia, Litva and Slovakia, Slovenia has the highest chances of receiving an invitation to join NATO at a summit member countries will hold in Prague at year's end. Referring to the most recent reports by the leading Slovene "anti-NATO" publicists and journalists, who presented Slovenia's possible membership in NATO in a negative light due to new obligations, the increase of expenses for the country's defence, and the country's peaceful and secure environment, Rupel said in an open letter, which the Foreign Ministry disclosed on Monday, that such opinions were in contrast with the standpoints of the official po
LJUBLJANA, Feb 4 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
on Monday accused the leading media in the country of undermining
through a persistent and aggressive campaign the official policy's
credibility in the country's candidacy for membership in NATO.
According to some estimates, next to Estonia, Letonia, Litva and
Slovakia, Slovenia has the highest chances of receiving an
invitation to join NATO at a summit member countries will hold in
Prague at year's end.
Referring to the most recent reports by the leading Slovene "anti-
NATO" publicists and journalists, who presented Slovenia's
possible membership in NATO in a negative light due to new
obligations, the increase of expenses for the country's defence,
and the country's peaceful and secure environment, Rupel said in an
open letter, which the Foreign Ministry disclosed on Monday, that
such opinions were in contrast with the standpoints of the official
policy and the public.
Polemising with the opponents of the country's candidacy, Rupel
said that no one could exclude potential security risks as ten years
ago, before Slovenia achieved independence, its citizens could not
have imagined that "the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) would attack
them." The campaign against membership in NATO is a new attempt to
"disarm Slovenia," he maintains. The idea of a referendum prior to
entering NATO came from circles opposing membership, but those in
favour adopted it convinced Slovenes will support the joining, said
Rupel.
According to the newest survey by the Public Opinion Research
Centre at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, published a few
days ago, 53 percent of respondents favour Slovenia's entering
NATO, while 57 percent favour membership in the European Union.
The same survey records 73 percent of respondents favouring a
referendum before entering NATO, while 18 percent believe a
parliamentary decision would be enough. Slovene President Milan
Kucan said the citizens must decide on Slovenia's membership in
NATO and the EU at a referendum because of the strategic importance
of these decisions.
(hina) np sb