Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Students,

The words spoken by President [Alfred] Moisiu are fully in agreement with what I mean, and therefore, I will expand my topic to European association, namely, NATO and the European Union are the same coin with two faces. Our goal is to enter both, because [a] united Europe is not only our goal, it is also our destiny.

Croatia is a Mediterranean country, a country [in] Southeastern Europe, a Central-European country, which certainly offers certain comparative advantages, and Europe certainly recognizes these advantages. However, when I speak about Europe being our destiny, I must go back into history for a while.

Europe has tried to unite itself on several occasions, always by force, however, and in the interests of those who had force and the might at their disposal, and no process of association [resulted]. Europe is now uniting for the first time on the basis of [common] interests, of the interests of large and small countries alike, interests of small and large nations.

Because it is only [an] associated Europe that can be a partner to states, to Japan, to China, [an] associated Europe can help promote technologies, so that this world can survive. Europe is an old continent, but certainly its technology can help in competition with others to promote technology generally. This is why Europe must be united.

This is only a transition. We shall enter, even the states who are not currently members [of NATO or the European Union] will enter both NATO and [the] EU -- no one can remain an alien in Europe.

This is -- I [will] explain -- a transition process. Why is [association in the interest of Europe], not to speak about NATO, [which] was [a] defensive pact [and] now it is [a system for] security? More or less, membership or nonmembership does not play a special role when our security is at stake. We still have the umbrella, and our security is provided for. But what we want to achieve are the standards applicable in NATO and in the European Union. And this is something we must do on our own, and we will do it on our own.

And let me just say briefly why I think that Europe must unite. It has to unite, because both large and small states [are dealing with] their 1,000-year-old problems, namely, united Europe definitely really excludes war as a political means. There can no longer be any motive for war. Germany and France [were] at war three times over the past 130 years.... And wars left behind millions of victims and destroyed property. Clever Frenchmen and Germans say why.... Let's open our border. Now these two very countries [that had been] at war are in the forefront in the process of European association and development of democracy. For a German, for a Frenchmen, it is irrelevant on which side of the border he lives because in this associated Europe, every nation will continue to live within its own cultural environment, and this applies to our region as well.

It will be irrelevant whether it will be this side or that side or across this or that side of the border or in Albania for that matter. There is no longer any motive for territory, because all the rules will be made in European mechanisms, through European mechanisms by democratic procedures. And this is what Europe needs and what the world needs. I believe, therefore, that we are on the [right path] toward European association. It is up to us, of course, to carry out all the preparations that are involved in this. Europe is our goal and our destiny.

Thank you.