Parliamentary Assembly

President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, your excellencies, parliamentarians of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and ladies and gentlemen. I could speak in a foreign language but, out of respect for the Slovak Secretariat, as today is an historic day here in Strasbourg, I consider that it would be best to speak in the Slovak language.

I consider it a great honour to have the opportunity to address today the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I wish to extend to you, Mr President, gratitude for your supportive and encouraging words during your visit to Slovakia in January this year. At the same time, I wish to use this opportunity to express the support of the Slovak Republic for Daniel Tarschys, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, when implementing and strengthening the principles and objectives of the Council of Europe, and contributing decisively to the development of democratic institutions and to the protection of human rights.

The establishment of the Slovak Republic is an example of democratic changes in international relations that we have witnessed in the period after the cold war ended. The birth of an independent Slovak Republic is the expression of the ancient desires of the Slovak nation to become a sovereign state.

The independent Slovak Republic is continuing on the road that it took in November 1989. We are building a democratic state of law, rooted in a free pluralistic society. We are continuing our economic transformation for the fourth year, the objective of which is the achievement of a market economy with clear predominance of private ownership. After temporary difficulties that were reflected in a decline in our gross domestic product, in production in nearly all sectors of economy, an increase in inflation and a deficit on the state budget, and an increase in unemployment, certain positive aspects have started to make headway in our economic development. Slovakia, even after the split of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, in spite of a less advantageous starting position compared with the Czech Republic, has maintained the necessary macro-economic stability and the main principles of transformation.

This year, the development has so far augmented positive trends. We have recorded growth in our gross domestic product and a low inflation rate comparable even with stable market economies. The recovery in our state finance and currency has progressed further and foreign exchange reserves have increased. The first indications of recovery in industrial production have been manifested, too, and exports are increasing.

Hand-in-hand with efforts to introduce macroeconomic stability, we have worked intensively on creating the legislative and institutional conditions of a market economy and changes of structure of owners. We are aware that there still is a lot of work to be done, but in spite of that we can state that the essential legal and institutional pillars of a market economy have been put in place in Slovakia. The diversified structure of ownership has been dynamically developing, due not only to privatisation of existing state-owned properties but to establishment of new private entrepreneurial entities. The non-state sector today represents 40% of the generated gross domestic product, and its proportion, no doubt, will continue to increase. The second wave of privatisation, the preparatory stage of which is being concluded, will also contribute to that. We wish to use a combination of different privatisation forms, such as the voucher method, direct sale to domestic and foreign investors and sale of stock through the capital market. It is our ambition to link the process of privatisation with financial, technical and economic restructuring of the state sector of companies and the banking sector, and to help the microeconomy to adapt itself to changed conditions. We are working intensively on preparation of such a programme. We appreciate the assistance of the World Bank, of experts of the G-24 countries and of the European Union in preparation of the project, and we hope to be supported by them also in its implementation.

In the past few years, we have witnessed quickly changing relations in the world policy. Contemporaneity is stigmatised by dynamic changes caused by the growing multipolarity of international relations. Last year, many such events took place, moving the international community forward to fulfilment of ideals shared by the Council of Europe, development of peaceful co-existence of nations and strengthening of mutual co-operation. On the other hand, other events took place that did not fill us with optimism.

Slovakia wishes to contribute, too, so that the formation of new relations is based on respect of international law and principles of the democratic co-existence of nations. This is in line with the principles of our foreign policy, which flow from the basic values of Slovak society. This belief is characterised by respect for democracy and for human rights, and by the creation of an economic environment based on free market principles. The guarantees of democracy and the protection of human rights are constitutional guarantees. In a country where the Constitutional Court is functional, no higher guarantees exist.

It is obvious that the Slovak Republic, as a small country in a geopolitically sensitive region of central Europe, must have a clearly demarcated foreign policy. The Slovak Republic links its activities to European integration processes and strives to belong among stable, democratic and prosperous countries. Accession to the European Union and active participation in creating an efficient model of European security is also a priority of Slovak foreign policy. Our foreign political activities are thus unequivocally directed at the creation of preconditions that will enable Slovakia to achieve fully fledged membership of the European Union as soon as possible. The essential starting point for us was the signing of the Europe Agreement, establishing an association between the Slovak Republic and the European Union.

International contacts of the Slovak Republic are, naturally, more extensive and many-sided. We are interested in securing the best possible relations with neighbouring countries, based on high-quality agreements to facilitate mutually beneficial multilateral co-operation. I can state with satisfaction that we have succeeded in fulfilling this objective recently, thereby contributing to the stability of the whole region. Continuing closer relations with west European countries and a strengthening of our economic, political and security position have positively contributed to the fulfilment of this objective.

On a global level, the priority for the Slovak Republic, being a part of the European region, is the maintenance of strong transatlantic links. We cannot undervalue the development of contacts and cooperation with our eastern neighbours – the Russian Federation and other countries of the Community of Independent States – as well as with more distant regions of the world.

The aims and objectives that we have set ourselves are demanding and preconditioned by sufficient support from the general public and consensus of the most important entities of our political spectrum. Nevertheless, I can state with satisfaction that with respect to the principal issues of orientation of foreign policy of the Slovak Republic, there prevails broad civic and political agreement in Slovakia. That transmits a positive signal abroad, and foreign countries can count on Slovakia as a reliable and trustworthy partner in the future.

When the young Slovak Republic became a member of the Council of Europe, it acquired rights to contribute actively to solving political events in Europe and to participating in the creation of documents of the Council of Europe. It also acquired obligations arising from the accession to the Council of Europe and from intergovernmental and interparliamentary co-operation. Membership of the Council of Europe is, for us, not only an encouragement but also an obligation of permanent standing.

The Council of Europe stated on the occasion of our acceptance that the Slovak Republic is regarded as being able and willing to respect and accept principles of the state of law and to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms for all individuals under its jurisdiction. That constitutes a significant motivating role.

The willingness of the Slovak Republic to preserve the continuity of obligations in European conventions, specifically conventions in respect of human rights, was demonstrated also by the fact that the Slovak Republic, immediately after its establishment, applied to become a successor to these conventions of the Council of Europe, the contractual party of which had been the former Federal Republic.

When the Slovak Republic was accepted for membership of the Council of Europe, we approve a one-sided obligation to implement specific recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly on the Council of Europe concerning our relations with national minorities living within the Slovak Republic. The Slovak Republic considers it important to ensure the rights of national minorities and to generate conditions for their fully-fledged development, pursuant to the constitution of the Slovak Republic and to international agreements covering the rights of citizens belonging to national minorities. It is our objective to ensure and develop the harmonious co-existence of all citizens of the Slovak Republic. I am pleased to use this opportunity to inform the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, of our fulfilment of the obligations on the Slovak Republic which we accepted at the time that we became a member country of the Council of Europe.

Legislation was adopted to bestow upon each individual belonging to a national minority the right to use his or her own surname and name in his or her mother tongue, and to have them recorded in the registry in the language of that minority.

The right of individuals belonging to a national minority – Hungarian, German, Ruthenian – to indicate in their language local names, signs and inscriptions and other information in areas where more than 20% of the population is made up of members of that minority, pursuant to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was also enshrined by the Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic on Designation of Settlements in the Language of National Minorities.

The Slovak Republic, as a multi-ethnic state built on the civil principle, is not inclined to collective perception of rights of individuals belonging to national minorities, but it advocates individual rights, as only the freedom of an individual can be the guarantee of a free state. We are, first and foremost, interested in further development of individual rights, and endurance of full deployment of the national identity of each citizen of the Slovak Republic, regardless of his ethnic origin, religion, and the like. The rule of law of the Slovak Republic creates preconditions to make it possible to become politically committed, and to make the best of possibilities offered in culture and education.

I wish to state in this connection that, when solving the new territorial and administrative division of the country, the civil principle is applied. We proceed first from the historically shaped facts with respect to regions, taking into consideration specific geographic, cultural, economic and social aspects, enabling close co-operation of citizens, regardless of their nationalities. It is our aim to create economically efficient territorial units, within the framework of which we wish to support the spirit of co-operation and co-existence, and support rights enabling each individual’s self-realisation. Application of the criteria outlined in the draft of the concept of organisation of local and regional administration was evaluated positively by experts of the Council of Europe, according to the view that the ethnic principle should not be a decisive criterion in forming second tier self-governing regions. I have mentioned this issue, as it follows the recommendations of the Council of Europe.

The Slovak Republic welcomed the decision of the Vienna Summit of the Council of Europe to enter into the process of qualitatively new orientation of the international legal codification of rights of individuals belonging to national minorities in the form of the elaboration of the framework convention on national minorities. We believe that the work connected with this convention could be concluded in the near future. As the work is being elaborated by the Council of Europe, and as it will also be supported by member countries, it will represent a pan-European standard.

Our perception of this standard is, on the one hand, that it will be binding for the countries that accede to it, and, on the other, that it will be a concrete indicator for the national minorities of the possible and acceptable extent of protection of national minorities by European countries. I have intentionally mentioned that facet because, with respect to the relations between the state and the minority – or several minorities, as the case may be – a certain equilibrium has to be preserved which should be respected by the framework convention. Any impairment of this equilibrium – whether by non-observance of the rights of individuals belonging to a national minority on the part of the state or by exaggerated and ever-increasing demands by the national minority – could lead, particularly in the case of smaller countries, to political destabilisation.

I assume that if the state has the obligation adequately and within the framework of its social and economic possibilities, to ensure the protection and development of the identity of national minorities, the state has the right to anticipate that members of the national minority will be loyal to the state. Only mutual confidence can be the best guarantee for developing and enriching the life of the national minority. Each national minority living in the territory of the Slovak Republic can significantly enrich the cultural heritage of our society. Generously guaranteed rights, but, most of all, the high level of awareness of the existence of individual minorities in Slovakia, offer good preconditions for our country to become an example of a modern European multiethnic society.

The Slovak Republic has become the contractual party to a number of important conventions of the Council of Europe, and the Government of the Slovak Republic follows with great attention the application and implementation of the legal provisions and practical consequences resulting from the respective conventions.

The Slovak Republic has manifested its efforts for ensuring a full respect for human rights by the ratification of Protocol No. 11 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Our republic has ratified this protocol as the second member state of the Council of Europe. By this act, it has expressed its support for and consent to the reform machinery for human rights protection.

We have established the bureau of the agent representing the Slovak Republic in proceedings before the European Commission or the European Court of Human Rights. At present, the issue of selection of corresponding human rights is being resolved to ensure application of the provisions of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and co-operation with the relevant committee of the Council of Europe dealing with the prevention of torture.

The central activity of the instruments of international law is examination of the accession of the Slovak Republic to other conventions of the Council of Europe and ensuring the gradual harmonisation of legal measures with international legal standards. We are continuing to prepare the ratification of the European Social Charter, we are examining possibilities of the Slovak Republic’s accession to the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages, the European Charter on Local Self-Government, the European Framework Convention on Cross-Border Co-operation, and others.

A variety of activities and the joint solution of problems of European co-operation within the framework of the Council of Europe enable the Slovak Republic not only to participate in the preparation of international documents and conventions but offers extensive possibilities by means of their experts to participate in structured European multilateral co-operation.

We appreciate the assistance project that is extended to the countries of central and eastern Europe. The generous financial funding enables meetings of experts to be held on the premises of the Council of Europe and individual member countries to participate in the mutual exchange of opinions on the solution of legal issues of mutual interest on culture, the protection of cultural heritage, media policy, social issues, health care, the education system, training and youth, environmental protection, and local and regional bodies. These meetings are being organised in the form of seminars, conferences, and visits by Council of Europe experts to individual departments of the Slovak Republic.

The Slovak Republic appreciates the possibility of participation in Council of Europe activities. Our state authorities welcome the assistance of Council of Europe experts in the interests of solving our legislative problems at a European legal level, and we expect that to lead to the strengthening of our democratic institutions.

A historic occasion was offered to the Council of Europe to contribute to the consolidation of democracy and support reform processes in central and eastern European countries by removing the bipolar separation of Europe. At present, no reasons exist for an artificial division of the continent, and the idea of the unification of Europe is becoming a necessity not only from political but from economic and social points of view. In that respect, the Slovak Republic considers that one of the most important tasks of the Council of Europe is the extension of its membership, while the procedure of accepting candidates should correspond with criteria based on Council of Europe principles and objectives. In this sense, we are willing to contribute to and support the fulfilment of justified efforts by countries that are candidates for membership.

Allow me, in my conclusion, to express our acknowledgement of the support that the Slovak Republic has received from the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly in the process of deep transformation involving all sectors of political and social life.

The Slovak Republic, as one of thirty-two member states, perceives the Council of Europe as a many-sided international organisation, the members of which are united by the protection of human rights and the development of joint ideals and principles, the strengthening of pluralist democracy and the solution of problems of mutual interest. It greatly appreciates the irreplaceable role that the Council plays in the unification of Europe by means of intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary co-operation.

Although the Slovak Republic has existed as an independent country for less than two years, it must, while undergoing the transformation characteristic of the former communist countries, implement a considerable amount of work in the building and good functioning of its state institutions. But we are determined to accomplish both those tasks so that our country will be a respectful and reliable member of the big family of European countries.

I am delighted to have the honour to declare, on the occasion of this gathering, the Slovak Republic’s awareness that we are a part of this European heritage.

Thank you for your attention.