SLOVENES WANT CANCELLATION OF MILITARY SERVICES

LJUBLJANA, March 2 (Hina) - Slovenia is not militarily endangered, and should cancel obligatory serving of the military and introduce a smaller professional army, a majority of Slovenes believe, according to a survey published by the Slovene daily Delo on Saturday. A total of 85% of the questioned believe the country was not militarily threatened, 65% is against the serving of the military, and 18% would be ready for a service of professional soldiers if paid well, the survey results showed. Defense Minister Anton Grizold said the professionalisation could only be realised gradually within a few years as the opposite move would only "knock down" the defense system. The opposition and the former Defense Minister, Janez Jansa, next to their bill of professionalisation of the army say the government's standpoint was "an escape from responsibility" as the number of young people who opted for serving military requirement in civil institutions drastically increased over the past few years. Fast military reforms could help Slovenia's joining NATO, say opposition representatives of the defense forces' professionalisation quoting experts. (hina) np