And in other news…

On Wednesday, former President Milan Kučan appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague to testify against former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević. The testimony was expected to last four hours, but ended up lasting six.

Kučan was first examined by the prosecution, and focused on the situation among the highest levels of the Yugoslav leadership in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when both he and Milošević were key players.

He also mentioned Milošević’s famous speech at Kosovo Polje, in late June 1990, in which Milošević told the Serbs of Kosovo that the Serbian nation was facing a threat which it would have to defeat by any means necessary. Again, Kučan offered this as evidence of Milošević’s intention to incite a war.

Since he is representing himself before the Tribunal, Milošević cross-examined Kučan himself. Milošević stated that Slovene troops instigated the 10-day war in June 1991, as Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia, by attacking Yugoslav People's Army (JLA) positions within Slovenia. According to Milošević, the JLA only responded to the attack to defend the federation. He added that 44 JLA soldiers were killed, and 184 were wounded.

Milošević also alleged that Slovenia broke embargos and sent arms to Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, which Kučan also denied.

Milošević's trial began in February 2002, and he is facing more than 60 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and similar crimes allegedly committed during the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

On 22 and 23 May, President Janez Drnovšek and 16 other heads of state attended the 10^th Meeting of Central European Presidents in Salzburg, Austria. This year, the summit focused on perspectives for regional development on the edges of the European Union.

Also in attendance were the presidents of Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Ukraine, as well as the summit’s host, Austrian president Thomas Klestil. Albanian president Alfred Moisiu participated for the first time.

Peterle could lead European Parliament next June

According to the Financial Times and the European Voice, Alojz Peterle (NSi) intends to run for the post of President of the European Parliament in next June’s elections. The European Voice pointed out that Peterle has several things in his favor, including his membership in the largest political group in the parliament, the European People’s Party. He is also multilingual, speaking Slovene, German, Italian and French.

However, Poland is seeking to secure a leading position within the EU, and the European Voice wrote that if any of the top spots go to an acceding country, it will be the president of the parliament. Poland has a particularly strong lobby within the EU, while Slovenia does not.

Peterle told Radio Slovenija that he was surprised by the speculation, which was based on comments made to close associates. He stressed that he has not yet made any official decision or announcement.

The current president of the European Parliament is Pat Cox of Ireland. Peterle was independent Slovenia’s first prime minister, and is currently a member of the praesidium of the convention on the future of the European Union, representing the acceding countries.

On Sunday, the Slovene minority in Croatia elected representation in five cities. This was the first such election in Croatia, based on recently implemented national minority legislation. Slovenes were elected to represent their minority in Zagreb, Pula, Rijeka, Split and Šibenik. According to the 2001 Croatian census, some 13,173 Slovenes live in Croatia.

Croatia’s new system of minority representation is centered on Councils of National Minorities, which were elected at the county, town and metropolitan levels. In areas where there were not enough members of minoritiy groups to elect a Council, a special representative was elected to perform the same functions.

The representatives and national councils have advisory functions, and were elected to four-year terms. The posts are funded by the towns where they operate, and state funds will be available in certain cases.

Aside from the Slovenes, fifteen other minorities are represented: Albanians, Austrians, Bosnians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Jews, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Roma, Rusyns, Serbs, Slovaks and Ukrainians.

• Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner reiterated her country’s desire to form a bloc of Central European states within the European Union this week in Brussels. The bloc would come together after the first wave of expansion is completed in May 2004. The membership would include Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.