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| Last updated: 05-Mar-2004 11:10 | 7 Invitees - Slovakia |
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How to preserve the momentum of the NATO enlargement after
the Washington Summit in 1999? Slovak Prime Minister proposed a conference
in Bratislava
in 2001 to discuss further steps in accomplishing the project of Europe
free and whole. Today, standing at the doorstep of the Alliance, Slovakia
is offering again an opportunity for the transatlantic community to
look beyond the current while, to search the perspectives of tomorrow
for the countries, which stay outside the NATO and the EU structures.
Security, stability and responsibility were the key highlights of the conference "Europe’s New Democracies: Leadership and Responsibility" held in Bratislava in 2001. The Prime Minster Mikuláš Dzurinda put clearly where Slovakia strands in giving the life to these words: „We think this conference to be a unique opportunity to show that Slovakia wishes to be one of the leaders in shaping a unified and free Europe, whose pillars are the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union”. The 2001 conference, with the memorable speeches of the President of the Czech Repunlic Václav Havel and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, contributed to a revival of a debate on future NATO enlargement. “The enlargement of NATO should be neither a book-keeping exercise, nor a bureaucratic guessing–game, nor a political bazaar. For the sake of the political confidence among aspirant countries, the process of admission should be made more objective, more predictable, and more credible – even if ultimately still guided by political and strategic considerations. Above all, it has to reflect a clear-headed vision of the future scope and shape of Europe and of its relationship to the Atlantic alliance,” said Zbigniew Brzezinski From 18 to 19 March 2004 during the high level international conference on "Towards a Wider Europe: The New Agenda", Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda is proposing to invited guests, politicians as well as independent analysts, journalists and representatives of civil society from the current and prospective NATO and EU member states to discuss the twin enlargement and transformation of both, NATO and the EU, contributions of new democracies to freedom and stability, as well as challenges of Euro-Atlantic integration, of the regions and countries that remain outside of the structures after the NATO and the EU enlargements. The conference Towards a Wider Europe: The New Agenda consists of two parts. The first part, co-organised by the GMFUS (Central and Eastern Europe Office in Bratislava), the Slovak Foreign policy Association, and the Institute for Public Affairs, takes place on Thursday 18 March and will bring together think tanks and other experts, while the second part, on Friday 19 March, will provide a forum for discussion amongst current and former leading political figures from present and prospective member states of NATO and the EU, including the prime ministers of Vysegrád and Vilnius Group countries, as well as the high representatives of the NATO.  |
