STATEMENT AT THE MEETING OF FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE (CEI)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Republic of Hungary

"The following is the text of the lecture by Laszlo Kovacs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Hungary at the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CEI. (Turin, November 19, 1994)"

Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am particularly honoured that this meating of ours should be taking place in the city of Turin. For there are several features in common between the histories of Hungary and Piedmont. The most memorable, perhaps, is that Turin was the final refuge in exile of Lajos Kossuth was one of the chief advocates and supporters of the modernization of independent political and social relations in 19th-century Central Europe, so that in remembering him we honour a precursor of our present-day ideas.

Just five years ago, Mr. Chairman, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Yugoslavia agreed to establish the Quadragonale, the forerunner of today's CEI. The interventing period has seen historic changes and then unforeseen tragedies and great sufferings. With the passing of the bipolar period in Europe, the question of security has become subject to a new philosophy, from which a response must come to the new problems generated by the political and economic transition taking place in our region. The break-up of Yugoslavia and the ensuing protracted warfare in parts of its former territory, especially Bosnia-Herzegovina, have created a situation fraught with danger. There are significant variations within the region in the way parliamentary democracy and a market economy arebeing established in practice. New challenges also appear in assessing the measures to be taken in the transitional period, redrafting inter-state relations in line with democratic principles, and reviewing the region's overall relations with the We

stern democracies. New poblems have also arisen, such as radical nationalist tendencies, ethnic conflicts and environmental concerns.

One can justifiably ask what role regional cooperation can play under these circumstances, and what common denominator tha nations of this regions posses.

Over the past five years, the CEI has been constantly seeking its role and position on the European political scene. This is not an admission. Far from it, this is one of its merits, part of the evidence of its ability to adapt to new situations.

The point of departure is that the CEI should provide a framework for cooperation between countries of two types: those already possessed of decades of experience under a developed market economy and a developed system of democracy on the one hand, and those just embarking on the road to attaining these goals on the other. Around this table sit representatives of two member-states of the European Union, four associate EU members and four countries with aspirations to join in European integration. The CEI's activities in 1993 and 1994 have accomplished a steady consolidation. Last year we managed to agree upon the general guide-lines for the cooperation to be followed this year in order to apply our principles in practice. I appreciate particularly the declaration of the principle that "one of the CEI's major objectives is to foster the full integration of its member-states into the European Union," and "the primary tasks of the CEI are to assist member-states wishing to join the European Union to continue do

mestic economic tranformation and to remove the barriers that prevent or delay their full economic integration into the European Union...

This, in my view, is precisely the common objective that should serve as a basis for the future development of the CEI. Needless to say, this grouping of ours is not an alternative to the European Union, but it certainly will contribute to the process of European integration through its various forms of regional cooperation. The cooperations among the member-states of the CEI should be founded upon the principles already applied en European integration. In a word, I would like to underline the necessity of developing the CEI into a system in an EU-compatible system, a non-institutional forum of regional cooperation, so that it can further facilitate the achievement of full EU membership by CEI member-countries.

In the light of these CEI objectives, MR. Chairman, the forthcoming meeting of the European Council in Essen will have particular significance. Recent developments, notably the inclusion of the Associated Countries in the formulation of the strategic document to serve their preparation for membership, have given a clear signal that relations between the EU members and the Associated Countries have entered a qualitatively new phase.

So what does Hungary expect of this summit meeting? In general we expect the new EU strategy to be adopted to reflect a common political purpose and commitment by the European Union and the Associated Countries to broadending European integration. Important criteria for membership include the stability of democratic institutions, the level of overall economic development and performance, and the attainment of harmonization in the field of law.

We also expect the new EU strategy to bear in mind the specific, individual situation of each Associated Country. Hungary believes that even in the interim period leading up to full membership, cooperation should be extended to the second and third pillars of the Maastrich Treaty, namely the common foreign and security policy and the domestic and judicial affairs of the EU.

I must stress here the importance of having structured cooperation between the European Union and the Associated Countries, especially in the trans-European dimension. We are looking forward to the results of the 1996 Inter-Governmental Conference, to whose success Hungary, as one of the EU's prospective members, would like to contribute. We share the expectation that the conference will manage to anhance the Union's capability of absorbing new members in a way that conforms with the process of integration and attainment of its principal objectives.

This meeting of ours in intended to outline the role the CEI should play under these new circumstances.

So far as political sialogue is concerned, we firmly believe that the CEI has an important role to play as a consulative forum able to deal with specific problems for our region, including the national-minorities question and the promotion of gooneighbourly relations, and thereby contribute to stability in a broader sense. Our achievements will have to be preserved and built upon further. At the same time, the CEI should ensure there is a continual dialogue with the representatives of the EU, the Council of Europe, the OECD and various European regional organizations.

We are happy to note, Mr. Chairman, that the CEI Working Group on Minorities has completed its work on the Instrument for the Protection of Minority Rights. This is a succes and an expression of the joint efforts made by the experts concerned to bridge the differences in the views and positions taken on this very sensitive issue by individual member-states. I am pleased to see that the document is open for signature, and I express my own readiness to sign at any time.

As regards follow-up action to the CEI Instrument, I propose that we make it open to accession by other states as well, notably the CEI's associated countries. This would fully comply with the relevant article of the Framework Convention, which invites "parties to conclude multilateral agreements." This would mean, in other words, that the CEI Instrument was being treated as a kind of means for implementing that Convention.

We see important measure of progress and a pragmatic advance in our cooperation in the meeting of CEI ministers for external economic relations which is due to be held in Skopje next March, where special attention will be paid to the liberalization of trade, the establishment of customs-free zones, and the role and cxontribution of small and medium-sized firms.

As far as the current projects are concerned, Hungary considers that the building of a Trieste-Budapest-Kiev motorway should be a trans-European project, and included in the European Union's system of Trans-European Networks. It is essential that further initiatives be taken to promote cooperation in the fields of energy and environmental protection, which are areas in which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is expected to play a still more active part than hitherto.

I would like to take this opportunity of expressing thanks to the head of the Czech delegation for his words of support fo hungary as the incoming Chairman in Office of the CSCE. Iwould like to assure you that the Hungarian Government, and myself as Foreign Minister, will do our outmost to ensure that CSCE is adapted to the new situation in Europe and capable of responding to the new challenges.

Poland, Mr. Chairman, assumes the duties of Acting President of the CEI on January 1, 1995. At this juncture, Hungray would like to present a couple of ideas for enriching further our future activities. First, the promotion of cross-border cooperation based on the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act and the Council of Europe convention on trans-frontier cooperation, and the establishment of a consulative group to this end; and secondly, the extension of the CEI's social dimensions to include cooperation among cooperatives in the member-states.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, allow me to convey my sincere acknowledgements to the Italian Presidency of my gratitude for your inspiring activities and hospitality.