LJUBLJANA, June 26 (Hina) - Ten years ago Germany did not "coerce" the international community to recognise Croatia and Slovenia for its own interests, but reacted before all others because it was better acquainted with the situation,
former German chancellor and foreign minister Helmut Kohl and Hans Dietrich Genscher said. "I was among the first to realise that Yugoslavia, as created by Tito, could not be preserved," Kohl told Slovene television broadcast on Statehood Day. "Germany did not push anyone into independence, but rather respected the decisions made by the people. We have long advocated a unified Yugoslavia, but this all changed with the military intervention against Slovenia ... Many were seduced by Milosevic, about whom I had no illusions after he announced his Greater Serbian views having taken Kosovo's autonomy in 1998. The attack on Slovenia and later on Croatia, unfortunately, confirmed
LJUBLJANA, June 26 (Hina) - Ten years ago Germany did not "coerce"
the international community to recognise Croatia and Slovenia for
its own interests, but reacted before all others because it was
better acquainted with the situation, former German chancellor and
foreign minister Helmut Kohl and Hans Dietrich Genscher said.
"I was among the first to realise that Yugoslavia, as created by
Tito, could not be preserved," Kohl told Slovene television
broadcast on Statehood Day.
"Germany did not push anyone into independence, but rather
respected the decisions made by the people. We have long advocated a
unified Yugoslavia, but this all changed with the military
intervention against Slovenia ... Many were seduced by Milosevic,
about whom I had no illusions after he announced his Greater Serbian
views having taken Kosovo's autonomy in 1998. The attack on
Slovenia and later on Croatia, unfortunately, confirmed my fears,"
Genscher said in an interview published by the Tuesday issue of
Ljubljana's daily Delo.
Asked why Germany as among the best informed about the crisis and
its development, Genscher said Germany always had close relations
with Yugoslavia.
"Many people from the former Yugoslavia work in Germany, many
Germany visited Yugoslavia as tourists. We knew the country better
than our friends (in Europe)," he said, explaining circumstances
ten years ago, when Germany, among Austria and the Vatican, was one
of the most sensitive international factors to recognise Croatia
and Slovenia as independent states.
Former US ambassador in Belgrade Warren Zimmermmann told
Slovenia's television that pronouncing the two countries'
independence and their international recognition (which he
opposed) still could not stop Milosevic's war in Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
(hina) lml sb