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Wed, 20 Feb 02
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NEDB
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Feb 20, 2002 12:36 PST
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NATO ENLARGEMENT DAILY BRIEF (NEDB)
Wednesday, 20 Feb 2002, 15:34 EDT
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* EU ENLARGEMENT CHIEF URGES BIG NATO EXPANSION
* CZECHS FAVOR BIG NATO EXPANSION, SAYS FOREIGN MINISTER
* NEARLY 60 PERCENT OF LITHUANIANS WOULD VOTE FOR JOINING NATO: POLL
* GERMANY'S PFLUGER SAYS PATH TO NATO DOES NOT LEAD THROUGH THE PAST
* U.S. TEAM VISITS BULGARIA AS THE FIRST IN CANDIDATE STATES TOUR
* RUSSIA'S MIG BEATS RIVALS FOR BULGARIA CONTRACT
* NEW WHITE BOOK OF THE BULGARIAN ARMED PREPARED
* UKRAINE PREPARES NEW POLITICAL DOCUMENT ON COOPERATION WITH NATO
* TAJIKISTAN JOINS NATO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE PROGRAM
* BAE-SAAB SWEETENS OFF-SET OFFER IN JET FIGHTER BID FOR POLAND
* POLISH AVIATION SIGNS MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GRIPEN INTERNATIONAL
* U.S. BOLTON CAUTIOUS ON ARMS TALKS WITH RUSSIA
* US BIDS TO CALM ALLIES' FEAR THAT IT FLYING SOLO -Reuters
= FEATURE =
* STRONGMAN'S REVIVAL MAY DERAIL SLOVAKIA NATO BID - LA Times / David Holley
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EU ENLARGEMENT CHIEF URGES BIG NATO EXPANSION
Reuters, 19 Feb 02
BRUSSELS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The European Union's commissioner for enlargement said on Tuesday he favoured a "big bang" expansion for NATO which would include countries not ready to join the EU for the time being.
Both the EU and NATO hope to admit new members from ex-communist central and eastern Europe in the near future, but the two Brussels-based organisations are completely separate and are not coordinating their enlargement plans.
"It would be desirable to have a security architecture in Europe which is not too fragmented and to have the new EU members as NATO members as well," EU commissioner Guenter Verheugen told a gathering of NATO's parliamentary assembly.
Verheugen said NATO should also take in Bulgaria and Romania, Balkan laggards which are not expected to qualify for EU membership for several more years. "For those countries that will not make it into the EU and at the same time won't make it into NATO there is a danger of double rejection which could create a very difficult psychological situation for those countries," he said.
"I already know Bulgaria and Romania won't be in our first round, so I just ask you to take that into account. But that is your decision, of course," he told the NATO parliamentarians.
The 19-member North Atlantic alliance is due to name the new countries ready for membership at a Prague summit in November.
"BIG BANG"
Diplomats say NATO, which is led by the United States, is leaning increasingly towards a "big bang" scenario of taking in seven countries -- Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and -- against some Russian opposition -- the three Baltic states.
The EU aims to wrap up accession talks with 10 countries by the end of 2002 and to admit them by 2004. They are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus. The two islands are not candidates for NATO membership.
"Bulgaria and Romania are not ready economically and politically to fully adopt and implement the acquis (EU laws and rules) right now...They will be in the second wave of (EU) enlargement," Verheugen said.
Verheugen also had encouraging words for Turkey, a NATO member which also wants to join the EU but has yet to begin accession talks due to concerns over its human rights record.
"Turkey is moving in the right direction, but it will take time," he said, adding that Ankara must scrap the death penalty and curb the powers of its army and National Security Council.
CZECHS FAVOUR BIG NATO EXPANSION, SAYS MINISTER
Reuters, 20 Feb 02
PRAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic is in favour of NATO throwing its doors wide open to new members when the alliance meets in Prague this year to discuss expansion, Foreign Affairs Minister Jan Kavan said on Wednesday.
Kavan said he would like to see the 19-member block taking in up to seven new members in light of the changed security situation following last year's attacks on the United States.
"Especially after September 11, I am convinced that there should be a bigger rather than smaller enlargement," Kavan told parliament's foreign committee.
"The security situation corresponds to that. So if the criteria are fulfilled by the candidate countries, I would not be surprised if there is enlargement by up to the number of seven," he said.
There are nine countries applying to join; Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the three Baltic republics. Diplomats have said at least four will be invited to join.
With Albania and Macedonia's membership seen as a distant prospect, Kavan appeared to be suggesting all seven other applicants could join, including Bulgaria and Romania which are considered the weakest among the rest.
NATO Secretary General George Robertson has said Slovakia's membership could hinge on the outcome of autumn elections, hinting that the return to power of former authoritarian Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar could dampen its chances.
Kavan said he did not want to single out any countries because that might demotivate candidates.
Kavan said new candidates should meet the same criteria set for the first post-Communist members.
Czech Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik said this month he could see tougher requirements for candidate countries, after the alliance saw the latest new members struggle with army reforms.
NEARLY 60 PERCENT OF LITHUANIANS WOULD VOTE FOR JOINING NATO: POLL
AFP, 20 Feb 02
VILNIUS, Feb 20 (AFP) - Some 58.9 percent of Lithuanians would vote in favour of joining NATO if a referendum were held now while 21.1 percent would vote against, according to poll results issued by the foreign ministry on Wednesday.
Twenty percent of people would not vote in a referendum on NATO membership, according to the poll of 1,058 voting-age Lithuanians carried out from February 7-10 by the Vilmorus agency for the ministry.
GERMANY'S PFLUGER SAYS PATH TO NATO DOES NOT LEAD THROUGH THE PAST
SITA, 19 Feb 02
BERLIN, February 19, (SITA)-- On Tuesday, Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda met members of the German Federal Parliament's Defense and European Committees who suggested that if Slovakia wants to enter the European Union and NATO, it must secure political continuity, which means an absolutely democratic government. After meeting with the Slovak prime minister, Chairman of the Committee for European Affairs Friedbert Pfluger said that the road to the Euro-Atlantic organizations does not lead through the past. It is up to Slovak citizens whom they elect, however, if they elect "the past" their path to NATO will be more complicated.
"There are several memories of the past when Slovakia as the only country in Europe thought that it could take its own path. My country, Germany, knows from its own experience that these individual paths lead nowhere," said Pfluger. He added that the NATO summit will meet shortly after Slovak parliamentary elections and everyone will be carefully watching what will happen in Slovakia.
Dzurinda also met with head of the opposition Christian-Democrats (CDU) Angela Merkele to discuss developments on the German political scene. Merkele expressed interest in cooperation with Christian-Democrats in Slovakia.
U.S. TEAM VISITS BULGARIA AS THE FIRST IN CANDIDATE STATES TOUR
BTA, 20 Feb 02
Sofia, February 20 (BTA) - The US is very pleased with Bulgaria's support in the struggle against terrorism, US Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns said Wednesday. In the very first days after the terrorist acts on September 11 the stand of the Bulgarian Government was very clear and supported by deeds. Over the past five months, Bulgaria did very important things, Ambassador Burns said at a news conference he gave at the end of his visit to Sofia.
Bulgaria is the first of the nine NATO membership candidate states visited by the delegation of the US Administration, led by Ambassador Burns. The purpose of the tour is to assess the progress of each state in its preparations for NATO membership.
The US delegation will visit the remaining eight countries - Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, in the next two weeks.
The delegation asked many questions regarding Bulgaria's preparations for NATO membership, Ambassador Burns said. It had meetings with President Purvanov, the Prime Minister, representatives of different political parties and the Defence Minister and had dinner with Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Ambassador Burns said.
The US delegation expressed gratitude for Bulgaria's support in the campaign in Afghanistan. Bulgaria supported the US from the very start by providing temporary access to US aircraft
which was very important for its operations, with the agreement on transit passage, which was also very useful, Ambassador Burns said.
The US does not see NATO membership as a contest between the candidates, Ambassador Burns said, adding that each country will be assessed separately. The readiness of all nine countries
is assessed on an equal basis but time will be needed for the US to decide which countries to support, Ambassador Burns said. NATO has also not decided yet which of the nine candidates will
be invited to join it at its summit in Prague, he added.
Bulgaria officially presented its preparations to all NATO members in April in Brussels. There is still a lot of time till the Prague summit and many meetings are yet to be held. The NATO Secretary General will visit Sofia in several weeks, Ambassador Burns said.
Over the past few months Bulgaria's rulers made some extremely difficult but very good decisions, US Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns told Foreign Minister Solomon Passy at their meeting on Tuesday evening, the Foreign Ministry said. However, the months remaining till the Prague Summit in November should be made maximum use of by the membership candidates as none of them fully meet the standards of the Alliance, Ambassador Burns said.
Foreign Minister Passy stressed the broad consensus in Bulgaria on decisions related to Bulgaria's participation in the anti-terror coalition as a de-facto ally of NATO, the destruction of SS-23 missiles, the sending of Bulgarian soldiers to join the international contingent in Afghanistan and this country's growing participation in NATO-led peace-keeping operations in the Western Balkans.
Ambassador Burns said that the main criteria for NATO membership will be stable democracy, rule of law, reformed and efficient armed forces capable of responding to the entire range of challenges in the modern world. Absence of corruption and reliable control over trade in arms will also be taken into account, Ambassador Burns said.
MIG BEATS RIVALS FOR BULGARIA CONTRACT
The Moscow Times, 20 Feb 02, By Lyuba Pronina, Staff Writer
Russian Aircraft Corp. MiG beat out four rivals to win a contract to modernize Bulgaria's fleet of MiG-29 fighters, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.The deal to upgrade the jets, 16 fighters and four trainers, could be worth as much as $50 million.
Read full text: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/042.html
NEW WHITE BOOK OF THE BULGARIAN ARMED PREPARED
Bulgarska Armiya daily, 20 Feb 02
The new White Book is about to be released by the Bulgaria DM after approval by the Cabinet. It stipulates, that while the percentage of the DM budget from the GDP will remain about the same - in average, 2.71-2.76% - Bulgarian GDP is to grow more than 1.6 times between 2001 and 2007, and thus the absolute value of the military expenditures will also increase. Thus a steadiness of the resources will be accomplished to guarantee maintenance and further improvement of the country's defence potential. It is especially important that while expenditures for the personnel will as a total rise only by 21% (but due to the reduction of the personnel, expenditures per capita will grow approx. four times), and the routine maintenance will also have only slight increase, there will be made a significant - almost three times - increase of the expenditures for investment to reach in 2007 the bottom line of the average of this indicator for the NATO member countries. Investments will be concentrated in six domains that include modernization of prospective existing equipment, rearmament with up-to-date equipment, procurement and implementation of hi-tech technologies for producing within the county, joint ventures with leading foreign companies, scientific research, and improvement of the military personnel's quality of life.
UKRAINE PREPARES NEW POLITICAL DOCUMENT ON COOPERATION WITH NATO
ITAR-TASS, 19 Feb 02
Kiev, 19 February: Ukraine is preparing a new political document on deepening cooperation with NATO.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Anatoliy Zlenko reported this to journalists today after a meeting with Slovak Defence Minister Josef Stank, who is visiting Kiev. Answering a question from journalists about further steps by Ukraine in that direction, Zlenko reported that the document will contain a number of new tasks for Ukraine and it will be more specific in defining future cooperation.
According to the Ukrainian minister, further work is being done on the document. He did not exclude that it might be presented during the NATO summit in Prague in November .
TAJIKISTAN JOINS NATO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE PROGRAM
Interfax, 20 Feb 02
BRUSSELS. Feb 20 (Interfax) - Tajikistan has joined the NATO Partnership for Peace program according to a document signed by Tajik Ambassador Sharif Rakhimov in Brussels on Wednesday.
Tajikistan's participation in the program will expand its ties with NATO in rectifying emergency situations, environmental programs, and military reform, NATO said in a statement.
NATO expressed satisfaction with Tajikistan's move.
Central Asia has remained an important component in the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region. Security in Central Asia has a direct impact on security in Europe, the statement reads.
Tajikistan's courageous decision to support the international anti- terror coalition has not gone unnoticed in NATO, the statement reads. It has remained of key importance for the alliance, the statement reads.
BAE-SAAB SWEETENS OFF-SET OFFER IN JET FIGHTER BID FOR POLAND
DPA, 18 Feb 02
Warsaw -- One of three major international aeronautics companies vying for a lucrative defence contract with NATO-member Poland on Monday signed a preliminary production agreement with a Polish aviation firm, reports said.
BAE Systems-Saab, a British-Swedish consortium offering Poland the JAS-39 Gripen jet fighter, concluded a so-called "off-set" package between its Gripen International arm and Poland's PZL Mielec for last-phase Gripen assembly to go ahead at the plant should the Polish government opt for the Gripen. NATO member Poland is in the market for 48 state-of-the-art jet fighters and officials have made no secret they are looking for the best possible deal in terms of both price and "off-set" packages to provide business for domestic defence contractors.
The contract is estimated to be worth some 3 billion dollars, currently the most lucrative in the region.
A BAE Systems-Saab off-set offer described as "generous" was cited as a deciding factor by NATO members the Czech Republic and Hungary in choosing the Gripen to replace their aging Soviet-era fleets.
France's Dassault, offering the Mirage 2000 and U.S. Lochkeed-Martin with its F-16 were both bitterly disappointed by losing the contract and were reported to have improved the terms of their respective off-set packages for Poland.
A final decision on the big-ticket purchase is expected to be taken by Polish officials in August.
POLISH AVIATION SIGNS MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GRIPEN INTERNATIONAL
DefenseNews.com, Industry Digest, 19 Feb 02,by Emily Woodward, Assistant Editor
Polish Aviation Co., Mielec, signed memoranda of understanding with Gripen International covering a wide range of manufacturing, engineering and technology work linked to the supply of JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Polish Air Force, according to a Feb. 18 statement from Saab AB, Linköping, Sweden. The JAS Gripen is produced by Gripen International, a joint venture established Sept. 3 by BAE SYSTEMS plc, Farnborough, England, and Saab.
Under the agreements, Polish Aviation would undertake a significant amount of new work pertaining to the production of the Gripen if it is selected as the Polish Air Force's new fighter. Specifically, the company would take part in the final assembly, including the production of additional airframe parts, installation of wings, mechanical and electrical systems tests and the final acceptance flight test.
In addition to the Gripen, the Polish Air Force is considering the F-16C/D built by Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., and the Mirage 2000-5 built by Dassault Aviation, Vaucresson, France. Poland plans to order up to 60 modern fighter aircraft worth a potential $3.5 billion.
U.S. BOLTON CAUTIOUS ON ARMS TALKS WITH RUSSIA
The Moscow Times, 20 Feb 02, by Gregory Feifer, Staff Writer
Wrapping up two days of talks in Russia, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton on Tuesday hedged on whether the two sides had moved any closer to an agreement on a proposed strategic nuclear arms cut.
"At the moment I don't see any insuperable obstacles to achieving an agreement by May," Bolton said when questioned at a news conference. He added, however, that disagreements over a number of issues may yet stop a deal from being reached before U.S. President George Bush's planned visit to Moscow on May 23. /.../
"We will not go about starting a process that limits our national missile defense," Bolton said. /.../
REad full text: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/011.html
US BIDS TO CALM ALLIES' FEAR THAT IT FLYING SOLO
Reuters, 20 Feb 02
LONDON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official, trying to rally Washington's jittery allies, said Tuesday President Bush's "axis of evil" speech had been misunderstood, underlining a need for closer consultation.
Already caught off guard by the success of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, Washington's European allies were unsettled by Bush's description of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the "axis of evil" in his State of the Union speech.
"We don't take it as a crisis or a disaster," Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones told reporters during a brief visit to London. "In the United States we still feel very much that we are at war."
"It is a reflection that we need to do a lot more talking about what we have in mind with our European colleagues," the career diplomat said before meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush's staunchest European ally.
Jones said the link between the three countries was their development of weapons of mass destruction, and the key for Iraq was to persuade it to allow weapons inspectors back in.
"Because we have been remarkably unsuccessful so far in getting inspectors in and therefore getting at the root of the problem ... there is serious, serious, serious worry in the United States about what could happen."
She said U.S. negotiators were talking with Russian counterparts about controlling Iraqi imports of so-called "dual use" goods with potential roles in weapons of mass destruction.
Progress was being made, with the main sticking point still being the definition of a dual use item, she added.
She refused to speculate on the next move if the goods review list was finalized, agreed by the United Nations and still Iraq refused to allow access for inspectors.
Jones also said the U.S.-led NATO alliance, formed to counter Soviet power in the Cold War era which ended in 1990, must look far beyond its borders to detect new threats to Western security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
"That was one of the biggest eye openers for us from September 11 ... that the threat to all of us starts elsewhere."
= FEATURE =
STRONGMAN'S REVIVAL MAY DERAIL SLOVAKIA NATO BID
FORMER PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR MECIAR IS POISED FOR A COMEBACK. WESTERN GOVERNMENTS STRONGLY OPPOSE HIM.
LA Times, 19 Feb 02, by David Holley, Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-000012819feb19.story?coll=la-headlines-world
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- When the coalition that runs Slovakia won power nearly four years ago, it was united by one thing: opposition to Vladimir Meciar, then the much-hated and much-loved prime minister.
The current government has vastly improved Slovakia's relations with the United States and the European Union, which were badly strained in the mid-1990s by Meciar's heavy-handed rule.
But now Meciar is on the comeback trail, while Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda's coalition--which embraces parties ranging from the former Communists to fervent conservatives--faces the possibility of electoral defeat this year. With Meciar's profile rising but Western governments still bitterly opposed to him, Slovakia's early integration into European institutions--and the growth in regional stability that would imply--hangs in the balance. Several key diplomats have all but declared that an invitation for this nation to join NATO, expected in November, would be dropped if Meciar returned to power in September elections.
Slovakia, formed out of the 1993 breakup of Czechoslovakia, was refused entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999 during the alliance's first round of expansion to former Communist countries. The decision was largely based on the judgment that the nation under Meciar had not been sufficiently democratic.
"People in Slovakia need to go into the elections with their eyes wide open," NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said here in November.
Though he declined to tie his remarks to Meciar--"I refuse to interfere with the domestic politics of this or any other country looking to membership in NATO"--few observers had any doubt what Robertson was talking about.
"NATO has bound itself to respect democratic values, ethnic tolerance, good relations with neighbors as well as a system of independent judiciary and a free economy," he said.
Meciar, whose political star dimmed two years ago with a failed bid to win Slovakia's presidency, once again projects confidence.
"We are the sole stabilizing element in Slovakia, with permanent support of one-third of the population," he said in a recent interview, citing polls that show his Movement for a Democratic Slovakia to be the most popular party in a fragmented political scene.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Kadlecikova, who is in charge of European integration for Slovakia, acknowledged the urgency of the political challenge facing the government, with unemployment at 20% and the ruling parties often fighting among themselves.
"For this present coalition government it is time to stop criticizing each other and to start with cooperation," she said.
In a poll last month by the Institute for Investigation of Public Opinion, 33% of respondents supported Meciar's party. SMER, a new populist party headed by Robert Fico, placed second at 13%, and the multiparty governing coalition drew just 7%.
Fico and Meciar are competing for the support of disaffected citizens.
"I understand that Western countries are happy with this government," Fico said in an interview, "but people in Slovakia are not happy with this government, because it's not enough only to privatize. It's not enough only to introduce liberal ideas. Slovakia is not prepared for liberalism, not at all. Slovakia still needs quite strong government and quite a strong state."
Many observers think that a three-way election split will put Fico in position to tilt power one way or the other, or perhaps win the prime minister's office for himself.
"Mr. Fico will decide about the developments in Slovakia" by throwing his support to Meciar or the ruling coalition, Kadlecikova predicted. He is "pro-European and pro-NATO," the deputy prime minister said.
Fico said he would be open to a coalition with Meciar's party, but not with Meciar himself.
"People are tired," Fico said. "People don't want to follow old faces. Both the government of Mr. Meciar and the government of Mr. Dzurinda have not been able first of all to guarantee that there is rule of law. . . . If you have 20% unemployed people, if you have corruption in all fields of life, if you have problems to protect your rights in the court system, if there is suspicion that police are involved in organized crime . . . people evaluate these politicians according to these results."
Along with Slovakia, the front-runners to join NATO are Slovenia and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Bulgaria and Romania also are seeking entry but are seen as less likely to win invitations this year.
Most countries in the former Soviet bloc desire NATO membership not just to ensure their security but also as a badge of acceptance into Europe, to impress foreign investors and serve as a stepping stone to joining the European Union.
Meciar, who played a key role in promoting the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia, has criticized NATO in the past but speaks now as a strong advocate of joining the alliance.
His supporters view him as a talented leader and a patriot, even as the father of his country. But critics charge that he ran an authoritarian political machine based on patronage, corruption and disrespect for democratic rules.
Meciar also was criticized for granting a blanket amnesty to the unknown perpetrators of the 1995 kidnapping of Michal Kovac Jr., whose father was president at the time and a Meciar rival. The younger Kovac was taken to Austria in a car trunk and released there. The case is complicated and murky, but it was widely believed to involve efforts to embarrass the elder Kovac.
At the time, the son faced allegations of business fraud in Germany--charges of which he was cleared--and observers assumed that the kidnappers hoped Austria would send him there to face trial. Instead Austria returned him to Slovakia.
A report by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, a U.S. government agency, noted that the first Slovak police investigator in charge of the case was removed after he said he had found evidence implicating the government's intelligence service. His successor was removed after concurring with that view.
"The attempt to tie this kidnapping to me, the Slovak government and my party was right from the beginning fabricated," Meciar said in the recent interview. He granted the amnesty for anyone involved in the case "only for the good of the state" because there was a risk that the elder Kovac would be implicated in the "hiding of evidence" and "false witnesses," he said.
While Meciar's explanations satisfy his supporters, they have not gone over well outside the country. "At home we are understood as real people," Meciar said, but "abroad, a certain 'virtual reality' has been created."
In recent months, Western diplomats have been waging a campaign to ensure that Slovaks understand there will be a price to pay if Meciar returns to power.
U.S. Ambassador Ronald Weiser told Bratislava's Radio Express last month that Slovakia is doing "a good job" of meeting the military criteria for joining NATO. "The only other obstacle that would face you is the outcome of your elections and whether your new government will share the values of the NATO alliance," he said.
The interviewer asked for comment on the possibility that Meciar might win the elections.
"I think people need to vote for whomever they feel can best lead their government in the future," Weiser replied. "That government will choose whether it wants to seek an invitation to NATO, and NATO will choose whether it wants Slovakia as a partner."
Meciar responds to such comments by arguing that he shares the values of the alliance, that the controversy over this issue mainly reflects an effort by the ruling coalition to hang on to power, and that it is undemocratic for NATO countries to pressure Slovak voters.
"There exists a certain rule that is respected by all democratic states: the right of citizens to select their own representatives," Meciar said. "It would be better not to try to frighten the Slovaks that they will be punished and not be given guarantees for international security if they vote according to their own conscience."
Once this nation has joined NATO, he added, "you will have to respect the right of Slovakia to a free election."
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>NATO ENLARGEMENT DAILY BRIEF (NEDB)<BR>Wednesday,
20 Feb 2002, 15:34
EDT<BR>---------------------------------------------------<BR>* EU ENLARGEMENT
CHIEF URGES BIG NATO EXPANSION<BR>* CZECHS FAVOR BIG NATO EXPANSION, SAYS
FOREIGN MINISTER<BR>* NEARLY 60 PERCENT OF LITHUANIANS WOULD VOTE FOR JOINING
NATO: POLL <BR>* GERMANY'S PFLUGER SAYS PATH TO NATO DOES NOT LEAD THROUGH THE
PAST<BR>* U.S. TEAM VISITS BULGARIA AS THE FIRST IN CANDIDATE STATES TOUR<BR>*
RUSSIA'S MIG BEATS RIVALS FOR BULGARIA CONTRACT<BR>* NEW WHITE BOOK OF THE
BULGARIAN ARMED PREPARED<BR>* UKRAINE PREPARES NEW POLITICAL DOCUMENT ON
COOPERATION WITH NATO <BR>* TAJIKISTAN JOINS NATO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE
PROGRAM<BR>* BAE-SAAB SWEETENS OFF-SET OFFER IN JET FIGHTER BID FOR POLAND <BR>*
POLISH AVIATION SIGNS MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING WITH GRIPEN INTERNATIONAL<BR>*
U.S. BOLTON CAUTIOUS ON ARMS TALKS WITH RUSSIA<BR>* US BIDS TO CALM ALLIES' FEAR
THAT IT FLYING SOLO -Reuters</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>= FEATURE =<BR>* STRONGMAN'S REVIVAL MAY DERAIL
SLOVAKIA NATO BID - LA Times / David Holley</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>---------------------------------------------------<BR>To subscribe to
NEDB, send a blank email to<BR></FONT><A
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size=2>------------------------------------------------- <BR>EU
ENLARGEMENT CHIEF URGES BIG NATO EXPANSION<BR>Reuters, 19 Feb
02<BR> <BR>BRUSSELS, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The European Union's commissioner
for enlargement said on Tuesday he favoured a "big bang" expansion for NATO
which would include countries not ready to join the EU for the time
being.<BR>Both the EU and NATO hope to admit new members from ex-communist
central and eastern Europe in the near future, but the two Brussels-based
organisations are completely separate and are not coordinating their enlargement
plans.<BR>"It would be desirable to have a security architecture in Europe which
is not too fragmented and to have the new EU members as NATO members as well,"
EU commissioner Guenter Verheugen told a gathering of NATO's parliamentary
assembly.<BR>Verheugen said NATO should also take in Bulgaria and Romania,
Balkan laggards which are not expected to qualify for EU membership for several
more years. "For those countries that will not make it into the EU and at the
same time won't make it into NATO there is a danger of double rejection which
could create a very difficult psychological situation for those countries," he
said.<BR>"I already know Bulgaria and Romania won't be in our first round, so I
just ask you to take that into account. But that is your decision, of course,"
he told the NATO parliamentarians.<BR>The 19-member North Atlantic alliance is
due to name the new countries ready for membership at a Prague summit in
November.<BR> <BR>"BIG BANG"<BR> <BR>Diplomats say NATO, which is led
by the United States, is leaning increasingly towards a "big bang" scenario of
taking in seven countries -- Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and --
against some Russian opposition -- the three Baltic states.<BR>The EU aims to
wrap up accession talks with 10 countries by the end of 2002 and to admit them
by 2004. They are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus.
The two islands are not candidates for NATO membership.<BR>"Bulgaria and Romania
are not ready economically and politically to fully adopt and implement the
acquis (EU laws and rules) right now...They will be in the second wave of (EU)
enlargement," Verheugen said.<BR>Verheugen also had encouraging words for
Turkey, a NATO member which also wants to join the EU but has yet to begin
accession talks due to concerns over its human rights record.<BR>"Turkey is
moving in the right direction, but it will take time," he said, adding that
Ankara must scrap the death penalty and curb the powers of its army and National
Security Council.<BR> <BR>CZECHS FAVOUR BIG NATO EXPANSION, SAYS
MINISTER<BR>Reuters, 20 Feb 02<BR> <BR>PRAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Czech
Republic is in favour of NATO throwing its doors wide open to new members when
the alliance meets in Prague this year to discuss expansion, Foreign Affairs
Minister Jan Kavan said on Wednesday.<BR>Kavan said he would like to see the
19-member block taking in up to seven new members in light of the changed
security situation following last year's attacks on the United
States.<BR>"Especially after September 11, I am convinced that there should be a
bigger rather than smaller enlargement," Kavan told parliament's foreign
committee.<BR>"The security situation corresponds to that. So if the criteria
are fulfilled by the candidate countries, I would not be surprised if there is
enlargement by up to the number of seven," he said.<BR>There are nine countries
applying to join; Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and
the three Baltic republics. Diplomats have said at least four will be invited to
join.<BR>With Albania and Macedonia's membership seen as a distant prospect,
Kavan appeared to be suggesting all seven other applicants could join, including
Bulgaria and Romania which are considered the weakest among the rest.<BR>NATO
Secretary General George Robertson has said Slovakia's membership could hinge on
the outcome of autumn elections, hinting that the return to power of former
authoritarian Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar could dampen its chances.<BR>Kavan
said he did not want to single out any countries because that might demotivate
candidates.<BR>Kavan said new candidates should meet the same criteria set for
the first post-Communist members.<BR>Czech Defence Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik said
this month he could see tougher requirements for candidate countries, after the
alliance saw the latest new members struggle with army
reforms.<BR> <BR>NEARLY 60 PERCENT OF LITHUANIANS WOULD VOTE FOR JOINING
NATO: POLL <BR>AFP, 20 Feb 02<BR> <BR>VILNIUS, Feb 20 (AFP) - Some 58.9
percent of Lithuanians would vote in favour of joining NATO if a referendum were
held now while 21.1 percent would vote against, according to poll results issued
by the foreign ministry on Wednesday. <BR>Twenty percent of people would not
vote in a referendum on NATO membership, according to the poll of 1,058
voting-age Lithuanians carried out from February 7-10 by the Vilmorus agency for
the ministry. <BR> <BR>GERMANY'S PFLUGER SAYS PATH TO NATO DOES NOT LEAD
THROUGH THE PAST<BR>SITA, 19 Feb 02<BR> <BR>BERLIN, February 19, (SITA)--
On Tuesday, Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda met members of the German
Federal Parliament’s Defense and European Committees who suggested that if
Slovakia wants to enter the European Union and NATO, it must secure political
continuity, which means an absolutely democratic government. After meeting with
the Slovak prime minister, Chairman of the Committee for European Affairs
Friedbert Pfluger said that the road to the Euro-Atlantic organizations does not
lead through the past. It is up to Slovak citizens whom they elect, however, if
they elect “the past” their path to NATO will be more complicated.<BR>“There are
several memories of the past when Slovakia as the only country in Europe thought
that it could take its own path. My country, Germany, knows from its own
experience that these individual paths lead nowhere,” said Pfluger. He added
that the NATO summit will meet shortly after Slovak parliamentary elections and
everyone will be carefully watching what will happen in Slovakia.<BR>Dzurinda
also met with head of the opposition Christian-Democrats (CDU) Angela Merkele to
discuss developments on the German political scene. Merkele expressed interest
in cooperation with Christian-Democrats in Slovakia.<BR> <BR>U.S. TEAM
VISITS BULGARIA AS THE FIRST IN CANDIDATE STATES TOUR<BR>BTA, 20 Feb
02<BR> <BR>Sofia, February 20 (BTA) - The US is very pleased with
Bulgaria's support in the struggle against terrorism, US Ambassador to NATO
Nicholas Burns said Wednesday. In the very first days after the terrorist acts
on September 11 the stand of the Bulgarian Government was very clear and
supported by deeds. Over the past five months, Bulgaria did very important
things, Ambassador Burns said at a news conference he gave at the end of his
visit to Sofia.<BR>Bulgaria is the first of the nine NATO membership candidate
states visited by the delegation of the US Administration, led by Ambassador
Burns. The purpose of the tour is to assess the progress of each state in its
preparations for NATO membership.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The US delegation will visit the remaining eight
countries - Albania, Romania, Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia
and Slovenia, in the next two weeks.<BR>The delegation asked many questions
regarding Bulgaria's preparations for NATO membership, Ambassador Burns said. It
had meetings with President Purvanov, the Prime Minister, representatives of
different political parties and the Defence Minister and had dinner with Foreign
Minister Solomon Passy, Ambassador Burns said.<BR>The US delegation expressed
gratitude for Bulgaria's support in the campaign in Afghanistan. Bulgaria
supported the US from the very start by providing temporary access to US
aircraft <BR>which was very important for its operations, with the agreement on
transit passage, which was also very useful, Ambassador Burns said.<BR>The US
does not see NATO membership as a contest between the candidates, Ambassador
Burns said, adding that each country will be assessed separately. The readiness
of all nine countries<BR>is assessed on an equal basis but time will be needed
for the US to decide which countries to support, Ambassador Burns said. NATO has
also not decided yet which of the nine candidates will <BR>be invited to join it
at its summit in Prague, he added.<BR>Bulgaria officially presented its
preparations to all NATO members in April in Brussels. There is still a lot of
time till the Prague summit and many meetings are yet to be held. The NATO
Secretary General will visit Sofia in several weeks, Ambassador Burns
said.<BR>Over the past few months Bulgaria's rulers made some extremely
difficult but very good decisions, US Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns told
Foreign Minister Solomon Passy at their meeting on Tuesday evening, the Foreign
Ministry said. However, the months remaining till the Prague Summit in November
should be made maximum use of by the membership candidates as none of them fully
meet the standards of the Alliance, Ambassador Burns said.<BR>Foreign Minister
Passy stressed the broad consensus in Bulgaria on decisions related to
Bulgaria's participation in the anti-terror coalition as a de-facto ally of
NATO, the destruction of SS-23 missiles, the sending of Bulgarian soldiers to
join the international contingent in Afghanistan and this country's growing
participation in NATO-led peace-keeping operations in the Western
Balkans.<BR>Ambassador Burns said that the main criteria for NATO membership
will be stable democracy, rule of law, reformed and efficient armed forces
capable of responding to the entire range of challenges in the modern world.
Absence of corruption and reliable control over trade in arms will also be taken
into account, Ambassador Burns said. <BR> <BR>MIG BEATS RIVALS FOR BULGARIA
CONTRACT<BR>The Moscow Times, 20 Feb 02, By Lyuba Pronina, Staff Writer
<BR> <BR>Russian Aircraft Corp. MiG beat out four rivals to win a contract
to modernize Bulgaria's fleet of MiG-29 fighters, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry
said Tuesday.The deal to upgrade the jets, 16 fighters and four trainers, could
be worth as much as $50 million. <BR>Read full text: </FONT><A
href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/042.html"><FONT
face=Arial
size=2>http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/042.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR>NEW WHITE BOOK OF THE BULGARIAN ARMED
PREPARED<BR>Bulgarska Armiya daily, 20 Feb 02<BR> <BR>The new White Book is
about to be released by the Bulgaria DM after approval by the Cabinet. It
stipulates, that while the percentage of the DM budget from the GDP will remain
about the same - in average, 2.71-2.76% - Bulgarian GDP is to grow more than 1.6
times between 2001 and 2007, and thus the absolute value of the military
expenditures will also increase. Thus a steadiness of the resources will be
accomplished to guarantee maintenance and further improvement of the country's
defence potential. It is especially important that while expenditures for the
personnel will as a total rise only by 21% (but due to the reduction of the
personnel, expenditures per capita will grow approx. four times), and the
routine maintenance will also have only slight increase, there will be made a
significant - almost three times - increase of the expenditures for investment
to reach in 2007 the bottom line of the average of this indicator for the NATO
member countries. Investments will be concentrated in six domains that include
modernization of prospective existing equipment, rearmament with up-to-date
equipment, procurement and implementation of hi-tech technologies for producing
within the county, joint ventures with leading foreign companies, scientific
research, and improvement of the military personnel's quality of
life.<BR> <BR>UKRAINE PREPARES NEW POLITICAL DOCUMENT ON COOPERATION WITH
NATO <BR>ITAR-TASS, 19 Feb 02<BR> <BR>Kiev, 19 February: Ukraine is
preparing a new political document on deepening cooperation with NATO.
<BR>Ukraine's Foreign Minister Anatoliy Zlenko reported this to journalists
today after a meeting with Slovak Defence Minister Josef Stank, who is visiting
Kiev. Answering a question from journalists about further steps by Ukraine in
that direction, Zlenko reported that the document will contain a number of new
tasks for Ukraine and it will be more specific in defining future cooperation.
<BR>According to the Ukrainian minister, further work is being done on the
document. He did not exclude that it might be presented during the NATO summit
in Prague in November . <BR> <BR>TAJIKISTAN JOINS NATO
PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE PROGRAM<BR>Interfax, 20 Feb 02<BR> <BR>BRUSSELS. Feb
20 (Interfax) - Tajikistan has joined the NATO Partnership for Peace program
according to a document signed by Tajik Ambassador Sharif Rakhimov in Brussels
on Wednesday. <BR>Tajikistan's participation in the program will expand its ties
with NATO in rectifying emergency situations, environmental programs, and
military reform, NATO said in a statement. <BR>NATO expressed satisfaction with
Tajikistan's move. <BR>Central Asia has remained an important component in the
security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region. Security in Central Asia has
a direct impact on security in Europe, the statement reads. <BR>Tajikistan's
courageous decision to support the international anti- terror coalition has not
gone unnoticed in NATO, the statement reads. It has remained of key importance
for the alliance, the statement reads. <BR> <BR>BAE-SAAB SWEETENS OFF-SET
OFFER IN JET FIGHTER BID FOR POLAND <BR>DPA, 18 Feb 02<BR> <BR>Warsaw --
One of three major international aeronautics companies vying for a lucrative
defence contract with NATO-member Poland on Monday signed a preliminary
production agreement with a Polish aviation firm, reports said. <BR>BAE
Systems-Saab, a British-Swedish consortium offering Poland the JAS-39 Gripen jet
fighter, concluded a so-called "off-set" package between its Gripen
International arm and Poland's PZL Mielec for last-phase Gripen assembly to go
ahead at the plant should the Polish government opt for the Gripen. NATO member
Poland is in the market for 48 state-of-the-art jet fighters and officials have
made no secret they are looking for the best possible deal in terms of both
price and "off-set" packages to provide business for domestic defence
contractors. <BR>The contract is estimated to be worth some 3 billion dollars,
currently the most lucrative in the region. <BR>A BAE Systems-Saab off-set offer
described as "generous" was cited as a deciding factor by NATO members the Czech
Republic and Hungary in choosing the Gripen to replace their aging Soviet-era
fleets. <BR>France's Dassault, offering the Mirage 2000 and U.S. Lochkeed-Martin
with its F-16 were both bitterly disappointed by losing the contract and were
reported to have improved the terms of their respective off-set packages for
Poland. <BR>A final decision on the big-ticket purchase is expected to be taken
by Polish officials in August.<BR> <BR>POLISH AVIATION SIGNS MEMORANDA OF
UNDERSTANDING WITH GRIPEN INTERNATIONAL<BR>DefenseNews.com, Industry Digest, 19
Feb 02,by Emily Woodward, Assistant Editor<BR> <BR>Polish Aviation
Co., Mielec, signed memoranda of understanding with Gripen International
covering a wide range of manufacturing, engineering and technology work linked
to the supply of JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Polish Air Force,
according to a Feb. 18 statement from Saab AB, Linköping, Sweden. The JAS Gripen
is produced by Gripen International, a joint venture established Sept. 3 by BAE
SYSTEMS plc, Farnborough, England, and Saab.<BR>Under the agreements, Polish
Aviation would undertake a significant amount of new work pertaining to the
production of the Gripen if it is selected as the Polish Air Force’s new
fighter. Specifically, the company would take part in the final assembly,
including the production of additional airframe parts, installation of wings,
mechanical and electrical systems tests and the final acceptance flight
test.<BR>In addition to the Gripen, the Polish Air Force is considering the
F-16C/D built by Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., and the Mirage 2000-5
built by Dassault Aviation, Vaucresson, France. Poland plans to order up to 60
modern fighter aircraft worth a potential $3.5 billion.<BR> <BR>U.S. BOLTON
CAUTIOUS ON ARMS TALKS WITH RUSSIA<BR>The Moscow Times, 20 Feb 02, by Gregory
Feifer, Staff Writer <BR> <BR>Wrapping up two days of talks in Russia, U.S.
Undersecretary of State John Bolton on Tuesday hedged on whether the two sides
had moved any closer to an agreement on a proposed strategic nuclear arms
cut.<BR>"At the moment I don't see any insuperable obstacles to achieving an
agreement by May," Bolton said when questioned at a news conference. He added,
however, that disagreements over a number of issues may yet stop a deal from
being reached before U.S. President George Bush's planned visit to Moscow on May
23. /.../ <BR>"We will not go about starting a process that limits our national
missile defense," Bolton said. /.../<BR>REad full text: </FONT><A
href="http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/011.html"><FONT
face=Arial
size=2>http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/011.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR>US BIDS TO CALM ALLIES' FEAR THAT IT
FLYING SOLO<BR>Reuters, 20 Feb 02<BR> <BR>LONDON (Reuters) - A senior U.S.
official, trying to rally Washington's jittery allies, said Tuesday President
Bush's "axis of evil" speech had been misunderstood, underlining a need for
closer consultation.<BR> <BR>Already caught off guard by the success of the
U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, Washington's European allies were unsettled by
Bush's description of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the "axis of evil" in his
State of the Union speech.<BR>"We don't take it as a crisis or a disaster,"
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones
told reporters during a brief visit to London. "In the United States we still
feel very much that we are at war."<BR>"It is a reflection that we need to do a
lot more talking about what we have in mind with our European colleagues," the
career diplomat said before meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush's
staunchest European ally.<BR>Jones said the link between the three countries was
their development of weapons of mass destruction, and the key for Iraq was to
persuade it to allow weapons inspectors back in.<BR>"Because we have been
remarkably unsuccessful so far in getting inspectors in and therefore getting at
the root of the problem ... there is serious, serious, serious worry in the
United States about what could happen."<BR>She said U.S. negotiators were
talking with Russian counterparts about controlling Iraqi imports of so-called
"dual use" goods with potential roles in weapons of mass
destruction.<BR>Progress was being made, with the main sticking point still
being the definition of a dual use item, she added.<BR>She refused to speculate
on the next move if the goods review list was finalized, agreed by the United
Nations and still Iraq refused to allow access for inspectors.<BR>Jones also
said the U.S.-led NATO alliance, formed to counter Soviet power in the Cold War
era which ended in 1990, must look far beyond its borders to detect new threats
to Western security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.<BR>"That was one of the
biggest eye openers for us from September 11 ... that the threat to all of us
starts elsewhere."<BR> <BR> <BR>= FEATURE =<BR>STRONGMAN'S REVIVAL MAY
DERAIL SLOVAKIA NATO BID<BR>FORMER PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR MECIAR IS POISED FOR
A COMEBACK. WESTERN GOVERNMENTS STRONGLY OPPOSE HIM.<BR>LA Times, 19 Feb 02, by
David Holley, Staff Writer<BR> </FONT><A
href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-000012819feb19.story?coll=la-headlines-world"><FONT
face=Arial
size=2>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-000012819feb19.story?coll=la-headlines-world</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR>BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- When the
coalition that runs Slovakia won power nearly four years ago, it was united by
one thing: opposition to Vladimir Meciar, then the much-hated and much-loved
prime minister.<BR> <BR>The current government has vastly improved
Slovakia's relations with the United States and the European Union, which were
badly strained in the mid-1990s by Meciar's heavy-handed rule.<BR>But now Meciar
is on the comeback trail, while Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda's
coalition--which embraces parties ranging from the former Communists to fervent
conservatives--faces the possibility of electoral defeat this year. With
Meciar's profile rising but Western governments still bitterly opposed to him,
Slovakia's early integration into European institutions--and the growth in
regional stability that would imply--hangs in the balance. Several key diplomats
have all but declared that an invitation for this nation to join NATO, expected
in November, would be dropped if Meciar returned to power in September
elections.<BR>Slovakia, formed out of the 1993 breakup of Czechoslovakia, was
refused entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999 during the
alliance's first round of expansion to former Communist countries. The decision
was largely based on the judgment that the nation under Meciar had not been
sufficiently democratic.<BR>"People in Slovakia need to go into the elections
with their eyes wide open," NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said here in
November.<BR>Though he declined to tie his remarks to Meciar--"I refuse to
interfere with the domestic politics of this or any other country looking to
membership in NATO"--few observers had any doubt what Robertson was talking
about.<BR>"NATO has bound itself to respect democratic values, ethnic tolerance,
good relations with neighbors as well as a system of independent judiciary and a
free economy," he said.<BR>Meciar, whose political star dimmed two years ago
with a failed bid to win Slovakia's presidency, once again projects
confidence.<BR>"We are the sole stabilizing element in Slovakia, with permanent
support of one-third of the population," he said in a recent interview, citing
polls that show his Movement for a Democratic Slovakia to be the most popular
party in a fragmented political scene.<BR>Deputy Prime Minister Maria
Kadlecikova, who is in charge of European integration for Slovakia, acknowledged
the urgency of the political challenge facing the government, with unemployment
at 20% and the ruling parties often fighting among themselves.<BR>"For this
present coalition government it is time to stop criticizing each other and to
start with cooperation," she said.<BR>In a poll last month by the Institute for
Investigation of Public Opinion, 33% of respondents supported Meciar's party.
SMER, a new populist party headed by Robert Fico, placed second at 13%, and the
multiparty governing coalition drew just 7%.<BR>Fico and Meciar are competing
for the support of disaffected citizens.<BR>"I understand that Western countries
are happy with this government," Fico said in an interview, "but people in
Slovakia are not happy with this government, because it's not enough only to
privatize. It's not enough only to introduce liberal ideas. Slovakia is not
prepared for liberalism, not at all. Slovakia still needs quite strong
government and quite a strong state."<BR>Many observers think that a three-way
election split will put Fico in position to tilt power one way or the other, or
perhaps win the prime minister's office for himself.<BR>"Mr. Fico will decide
about the developments in Slovakia" by throwing his support to Meciar or the
ruling coalition, Kadlecikova predicted. He is "pro-European and pro-NATO," the
deputy prime minister said.<BR>Fico said he would be open to a coalition with
Meciar's party, but not with Meciar himself.<BR>"People are tired," Fico said.
"People don't want to follow old faces. Both the government of Mr. Meciar and
the government of Mr. Dzurinda have not been able first of all to guarantee that
there is rule of law. . . . If you have 20% unemployed people, if you have
corruption in all fields of life, if you have problems to protect your rights in
the court system, if there is suspicion that police are involved in organized
crime . . . people evaluate these politicians according to these
results."<BR>Along with Slovakia, the front-runners to join NATO are Slovenia
and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Bulgaria and
Romania also are seeking entry but are seen as less likely to win invitations
this year.<BR>Most countries in the former Soviet bloc desire NATO membership
not just to ensure their security but also as a badge of acceptance into Europe,
to impress foreign investors and serve as a stepping stone to joining the
European Union.<BR>Meciar, who played a key role in promoting the peaceful
division of Czechoslovakia, has criticized NATO in the past but speaks now as a
strong advocate of joining the alliance.<BR>His supporters view him as a
talented leader and a patriot, even as the father of his country. But critics
charge that he ran an authoritarian political machine based on patronage,
corruption and disrespect for democratic rules.<BR>Meciar also was criticized
for granting a blanket amnesty to the unknown perpetrators of the 1995
kidnapping of Michal Kovac Jr., whose father was president at the time and a
Meciar rival. The younger Kovac was taken to Austria in a car trunk and released
there. The case is complicated and murky, but it was widely believed to involve
efforts to embarrass the elder Kovac.<BR>At the time, the son faced allegations
of business fraud in Germany--charges of which he was cleared--and observers
assumed that the kidnappers hoped Austria would send him there to face trial.
Instead Austria returned him to Slovakia.<BR>A report by the Commission on
Security and Cooperation in Europe, a U.S. government agency, noted that the
first Slovak police investigator in charge of the case was removed after he said
he had found evidence implicating the government's intelligence service. His
successor was removed after concurring with that view.<BR>"The attempt to tie
this kidnapping to me, the Slovak government and my party was right from the
beginning fabricated," Meciar said in the recent interview. He granted the
amnesty for anyone involved in the case "only for the good of the state" because
there was a risk that the elder Kovac would be implicated in the "hiding of
evidence" and "false witnesses," he said.<BR>While Meciar's explanations satisfy
his supporters, they have not gone over well outside the country. "At home we
are understood as real people," Meciar said, but "abroad, a certain 'virtual
reality' has been created."<BR>In recent months, Western diplomats have been
waging a campaign to ensure that Slovaks understand there will be a price to pay
if Meciar returns to power.<BR>U.S. Ambassador Ronald Weiser told Bratislava's
Radio Express last month that Slovakia is doing "a good job" of meeting the
military criteria for joining NATO. "The only other obstacle that would face you
is the outcome of your elections and whether your new government will share the
values of the NATO alliance," he said.<BR>The interviewer asked for comment on
the possibility that Meciar might win the elections.<BR>"I think people need to
vote for whomever they feel can best lead their government in the future,"
Weiser replied. "That government will choose whether it wants to seek an
invitation to NATO, and NATO will choose whether it wants Slovakia as a
partner."<BR>Meciar responds to such comments by arguing that he shares the
values of the alliance, that the controversy over this issue mainly reflects an
effort by the ruling coalition to hang on to power, and that it is undemocratic
for NATO countries to pressure Slovak voters.<BR>"There exists a certain rule
that is respected by all democratic states: the right of citizens to select
their own representatives," Meciar said. "It would be better not to try to
frighten the Slovaks that they will be punished and not be given guarantees for
international security if they vote according to their own conscience."<BR>Once
this nation has joined NATO, he added, "you will have to respect the right of
Slovakia to a free election." <BR> </FONT></DIV>
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