Five Years of Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
08.06.2004
Statement by
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
Republic of Austria
Commemorative Event
Five Years of Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
Portoroz, 8 June 2004
Mr. Prime Minister,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
- pleasure to be here on this important occasion.
Five years is not a long time in European history:
- The Ottoman empire was present in Europe for more than four centuries;
- The Habsburgs ruled for more than six centuries;
- And the cultural history of two thousand years is present everywhere in South Eastern Europe.
But in the life of an individual, in the life of a community, five years can be a long time.
If a person has to live in insecurity and economic hardship, five years are too long.
If country or a region is plagued by internal strife and general stagnation, five years are too long.
Here lies the important but difficult task of the Stability Pact.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let us not forget the magnitude of this task:
- Central Europe and South Eastern Europe is the only point where Slav, Roman and Germanic culture meet, complemented by smaller but equally rich cultures.
- Three major world religions meet, Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Islam, again complemented by other important beliefs.
- A wealth of languages, not even all of them related to each other, social traditions and political aspirations meet.
Over the centuries, not one single country or power has really been able to leave a definite imprint on the whole region.
Consequence of indoctrination and armed conflict in the region:
- complex animosities
- widespread mistrust
- limited capabilities of civil society.
Even the Stability Pact itself is a complex undertaking, a common effort of
- the European Union,
- other countries and partners outside the EU,
- International Organizations, International Financial Institutions and NGOs.
Message of the Pact, however, was and still is quite simple:
"You must come to terms with your neighbours in the region."
Many political declarations exist - but we have also to follow-up and insist on implementation. That is what the Stability Pact stands for.
I want to thank Erhard Busek for all his efforts as Stability Pact Special Coordinator:
- unique knowledge of the region,
- talent for networking, and
- endurance are the ingredients for this successful, result-oriented work of the Pact.
My congratulations to you and all your staff!
- The Stability Pact proved to be flexible enough to adapt itself when it had to react to changing circumstances.
- When it was created it had to concentrate on stabilisation, reconstruction and democratisation.
- Today, in my opinion, the main challenge is institution building and economic development.
We have to be critical: economic reform in the region is too slow.
Major success of the Stability Pact:
- to have a network of bilateral free trade agreements concluded in record time.
Last year: considerably more foreign direct investments in the region.
But: must work on further improving the business climate! The economy needs a sound political, legal and institutional environment.
More economic integration – on the other hand – increases the pressure on harmonisation of the legal system. Example: financial sector, which is quite familiar to us - Austrian banks and other companies play an important role in the region.
Ladies and gentlemen,
- Enlargement of the EU by ten new members on 1 May has brought the Union even closer to the region. Enlargement has certainly demonstrated that successful transition efforts can bear fruits. Our host country, Slovenia, is an outstanding example.
- Rumania and Bulgaria are both making good progress in their accession negotiations. If the current efforts continue, negotiations can be concluded very soon.
- Croatia made a big leap forward and could speed up the integration process. In ten days’ time, European Council will decide on opening accession negotiations with Croatia.
Widespread perception: The perspective of European integration is the driving force for reform and transition in the South Eastern European countries.
But, as I said just a few days ago at the Europe Forum in Göttweig, in Austria:
- Not only territorial expansion, but the expansion of peace, democratic values and economic prosperity beyond its borders is be the aim of the European Union. Europe should export stability instead of importing instability.
In this context, regional cooperation is a key factor. Current borders should not be economic, cultural and social obstacles. Only cross-border cooperation in regional context will enable us to master challenges facing us today: security threats, ecologic problems, traffic and transport, migration.
The important question is, "How can the citizens profit from cross-border cooperation, how can that cooperation be visible to our citizens".
Regional cooperation is visible, practical, on a human level.
This is why I initiated the "Regional Partnership" of six Central European countries, this is why I support the Stability Pact for Southern Europe.
The individual has to be convinced that politicians are ready to overcome historic prejudice.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
- Extended regional cooperation in South Eastern Europe remains essential, across the different levels of integration of individual countries.
- The South East European Cooperation Process has developed well. My advice would be to extend this form of cooperation to other sectors and various levels. It is evident that regional ownership is growing.
- Kosovo is not as stable as we had hoped. Tensions remain high and another sudden outbreak of violence seems possible. Concern: Basic problems that led to the march riots have not yet been solved.
- I am referring mainly to economic development, the status question and the structure of the international presence in Kosovo.
Although the Stability Pact was invented as a long-term conflict prevention strategy, we have to explore the better use of the Pact’s experience also in the case of Kosovo.
Inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue should be intensified to protect and respect religious sites.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Austria remains committed to the Stability Pact and its various initiatives, such as
- fight against organized crime,
- trafficking in human beings,
- education and youth, and others.
At this fifth anniversary, what are my wishes?
Actually, I have five concrete wishes:
- Stability Pact continues
- to help overcome nationalism and intolerance;
- to promote mutual understanding and cooperation in the region; - In this context I would like to commend MARRI (Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative) for its work. That more countries follow Austria’s example of investing in South Eastern Europe; economic investment is not only a consequence of stability, it contributes to stability.
- That a business environment is created in South Eastern Europe that
- stimulates and encourages and protects direct investment,
- creates badly needed jobs,
- encourages individual initiatives, and thus
- adds to increasing the living standard of the whole population; - That we can give a perspective especially to the younger generation through education, formation, training and initiatives in the cultural field. Regional cooperation among universities, for example, has already shown remarkable results. European integration requires also a sound basis of civil society.
- And – finally – that the Stability Pact will be obsolete one day, because it will have successfully completed its mandate.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In South Eastern Europe, too many generations have been brought up to think in terms of ideology, power, confrontation.
This approach ended in disaster.
We have to motivate people to think in terms of tolerance, cooperation, democracy, and business.
We have to teach them the tools of civil society, of democracy, and, of course, of successful business.
We have to join them on their way to a better future.
Thank you.
