On his first official visit since assuming the office of president in December, Drnovšek discussed the international community's split over Iraq with his Hungarian counterpart Ferenc Madl. As Drnovšek noted, nobody wants a war in Iraq; everyone wants to see a solution to the Iraq crisis in the framework of the UN Security Council with the consent of all members. However, we also want to disarm the Iraqi regime of its weapons of mass destruction, he said. "In order to be successful, diplomacy sometimes needs a credible threat. We all wish that this threat need not be fulfilled, but diplomacy would probably fail if we excluded the threat a priori," warned Drnovšek.

He also noted that the current situation has led to "considerable trouble" within the EU, NATO and UN Security Council. "It is very important that everyone involved take a deep breath, take a step back and find common solutions. Otherwise, the entire international structure that guarantees peace and stability will be in jeopardy," he stressed. Madl meanwhile voiced his opposition to "procedures that would lead to massive destruction" and stressed that a solution must be found under the auspices of the UN.

After holding talks with Peter Medgyessy, Hungary's Prime Minister, Drnovšek expressed satisfaction over the EU's statement on Iraq adopted February 17. Drnovšek noted that the statement, in which EU leaders said that Iraq should fully disarm in line with UN resolution No. 1441 (but does not exclude the possibility of using force) is an important step forward in forming a common stance on the Iraq crisis. This is especially important since the split in the international community is very awkward for Slovenia in the run-up to the referendum on NATO. Having to choose between a pro-U.S. or pro-EU policy on Iraq would not be good for the international community, Drnovšek pointed out.

Also on the agenda of Drnovšek's talks were minority issues; both countries are home to minorities from the other country. While a 1992 bilateral agreement guaranteeing special rights to Slovenian and Hungarian minorities is considered a European role model for settling minority issues, there are still some problems in safeguarding the two minorities. Drnovšek and Madl agreed that problems do exist, but efforts are underway to overcome them. Madl announced that a Hungarian cultural centre and a consulate would be opened in the Slovenian town of Lendava. Moreover, he pointed out that Hungary would have to carry out certain tasks related to the opening of Slovenian schools in the country.

It was noted that, unlike Hungarians living in Slovenia, the Slovenian minority is not represented in the Hungarian parliament. This is especially important since over 3,000 people declared themselves Slovenian in Hungary's 2001 census, up from just over 1,000 ten years earlier. According to official data, Slovenia is home to about 8,500 Hungarians, who can elect one lawmaker to the country's 90-member legislature. Drnovšek also discussed the issue of parliamentary representation with spokesmen for the Slovenian minority. STA