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| "Slovenian presidency tarnished" |
| 26 January 2008 | 17:56
| Source:
Beta |
LJUBLJANA --
European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin says the publication of diplomatic memoranda is a big blow for Slovenia.
Kacin was reacting to the publication of transcripts of a conversation between Slovenian Foreign Ministry official Mitje Drobniča and members of the U.S. administration in Ljubljana daily Dnevnik, where it is alleged that the U.S. has, among other things, asked Slovenia to be the first to recognize Kosovo.
“Publication of internal diplomatic documentation, which happened to [Foreign Minister] Dimitrij Rupel], is a big blow not only to our credibility, but also to the functioning and standing of the Slovenian EU presidency,” said Kacin in a statement to Beta in Ljubljana.
The EU rapporteur felt that the discovery of a December bilateral conversation at the time of the presidency of the EU’s Common and Foreign Policy Committee was “unbelievable “right before the GAERC session on Monday, which, for other reasons, has prompted greatest interest, particularly in the west Balkans.”
He added that the “scandal has and will have wider consequences,” as “there are and there will be repercussions both within the EU, and in other countries, and there are and there will be visible collateral damage and international consequences.”
Kacin wondered whether, after all that happened, Slovenia “would still really be able to host the EU-U.S. summit,” surmising that “the minister, and consequently Slovenia, will lose international authenticity and trust.”
Publication of the “memoranda” in Dnevnik has set off a reaction throughout political circles in Slovenia.
After Prime Minister Janez Janša remark yesterday that he “wholeheartedly rejected suggestions that anyone is dictating to Slovenia,“ other party leaders have thrown their oar into the debate.
Leader of the biggest opposition party, the Social Democrats, Borut Pahor said, according to daily Delo, that "he does not think this is the choice of the Slovenian presidency, and that in the next few days, we will hear Slovenian government rebuttals of the allegations.“
Pahor added that “it would be an unacceptable signal for the majority of the European Parliament if the presiding country was receiving instructions.“
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