Hrvatski Radio, 23. veljace 2002.
Interview sa šefom Misije OESS-a u Hrvatskoj, veleposlanikom Peterom Semnebyjem Novinarka: Ana Bella Leikauff
- Transkript -
• Novi šef Misije OESS u Hrvatskoj, 42-godišnji Švedanin Peter Semneby, iskusan je diplomat koji unatoc mladoj dobi iza sebe ima godine iskustva. Magistar ekonomije, te polaznik ugledne i skupe postdiplomske škole upravljanja na Harvardu, Semneby, koji govori engleski, njemacki, francuski i ruski, svoju diplomatsku karijeru poceo je 1986. godine u švedskom Ministarstvu vanjskih poslova, a aktivan je u OESS-u postao kao clan Misije u Gruziji 1992. godine. Nakon nekoliko tjedana boravka u Hrvatskoj, veleposlanik Semneby iznio je u razgovoru s Ana-Bellom Laikauf svoje prve dojmove.
Moji prvi dojmovi su izvrsni. Toplo sam primljen i imao sam prigodu susresti se s vecinom viskokih hrvatskih dužnosnika, predstavnicima nevladinih organizacija i diplomatskog zbora. Nakon tih sastanaka dobio sam dojam da su pitanja obuhvacena mandatom misije OESS-a u Hrvatskoj doista prioritet Vlade, i uvjeren sam da cemo zajedno s hrvatskim vlastima moci vrlo produktivno raditi na njihovu rješavanju. Takoder sam imao prigodu posjetiti i ratom razrušena podrucja, bio sam u Sisku, gdje sam posjetio naš regionalni centar i Hrvatski centar za razminiranje.
Kada prolazite kroz ta ratom pogodena podrucja shvatite da je Hrvatska zemlja kontrasta. Slika koju vidite u Zagrebu vrlo je pozitivna i dinamicna, a tamo još uvijek ima ogromnih problema u smislu obnove, stvaranja uvijeta za povratak. U tim je podrucjima, takoder, vrlo vidljiva gospodarska depresija, što je, uz administrativne probleme, znacajan faktor kada se radi o povratku.
• Prošle godine u vrijeme odluke hoce li se Misija produljiti ili ukinuti mnogi su rekli kako je potpisivanjem Sporazuma o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju izmedu Hrvatske i Evropske unije, Misija OESS-a postala suvišna, jer se vecina pitanja iz njezina mandata poklapa upravo s tim sporazumom.
U poslijednjih nekoliko mjeseci pokrenuli smo širi dijalog s Vladom o pitanjima obuhvacenim mandatom Misije, i moram reci da postoji još dosta toga što se mora riješiti. Sporazum o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju nije nadomjestak za rad Misije OESS-a u Hrvatskoj. Sporazum, naime, jasno pokazuje da pitanja kojima se bavi Misija OESS-a imaju veliku važnost za Evropsku uniju i njezine clanice, i mislim da ce to biti temelj za naš rad u buducnosti.
Mislim da cemo s Evropskom unijom suradivati u pravom partnerskom smislu, gdje ce se naš rad nadopunjavati i medusobno jacati, a tako ce se stvoriti uvijeti dublje suradnje s Hrvatskom vladom, jer naša je aktivnost usmjerena ka strateškim ciljevima koji su isti kao i oni Hrvatske vlade. Tako ce Hrvatska postati atraktivan i poželjan kandidat za clanstvo u Evropskoj uniji.
1 • Kada tako govorite sve to zvuci kao vrlo dugotrajan proces.
Ne želim se upuštati u nagadanja o vremenskom roku. Sve Misije OESS-a su po svojoj naravi privremene, pa ni ova Misija nece trajati vjecno. Mislim da se može reci kako je jedan od naših ciljeva raditi na tome kako bi sami sebe ucinili suvišnima, ali naš bi fokus trebao biti na rješavanju zadataka, a ne na roku trajanja Misije.
• No, cinjenica je da ste bili posljednji voditelj Misije u Latviji koja je nedavno zatvorena. Može li se onda Vaš dolazak u Hrvatsku protumaciti kao signal da OESS doista ima namjeru zakljuciti Misiju do kraja ove godine?
Ne želim to komentirati. Postoje neke paralele izmedu Hrvatske i Latvije. Latvija vec neko vrijeme vodi pregovore s Evropskom unijom, i ima velike izglede da postane clanica u prvom krugu proširenja. Vrlo sam zadovoljan time što je Hrvatska pocela s pregovorima, a Sporazum o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju prvi je korak na tom putu. Postoji još zanimljivih paralela izmedu Hrvatske i Latvije.
U Hrvatskoj postoji psihološko opterecenje zbog rata i žrtava, no nadam se da ce s vremenom svima postati jasno da povratak izbjeglica nije prijetnja vašoj zemlji, nego nešto što joj ide u prilog. Povratak izbjeglica, naravno, onih koji se žele vratiti, jedini je put zaljecenja ratnih rana, i, s vremenom, uspostave harmonicnog društva u Hrvatskoj.
Postoje naravno i drugi aspekti tog problema, poput financijskog. Medunarodna zajednica spremna je pomoci znatnim sredstvima, i vec je to i ucinila. No, i Hrvatska ce morati platiti velik dio racuna. U tom smislu je važno shvatiti da to nije samo trošak poput nekog drugog, nego ulaganje u hrvatsku buducnost, u integrirano i harmonicno društvo, i put ka punopravnom clanstvu u EU. (KRAJ)
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Croatian Radio, 23 February 2002
Interview with Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Ambassador Peter Semneby Journalist: Ana Bella Leikauff
- Transcript –
• New Head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, the 42-year old Swede Peter Semneby, is an experienced diplomat who, despite being relatively young, has gained years of experience. M.Sc. in economics, an attendant of the distinguished and expensive postgraduate School of Management in Harvard, Semneby, who speaks English, German, French and Russian, started his diplomatic career in 1986 at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He became active in the OSCE as a member of the Mission to Georgia in 1992. Having spent several weeks in Croatia, Ambassador Semneby stated his first impressions in an interview with Ana Bella Leikauff.
• My first impressions are excellent. I was warmly received and had an opportunity to meet most of the high-positioned Croatian officials, representatives of NGOs and corps diplomatique. After those meetings, I gained the impression that the issues encompassed by the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Croatia are really the Government’s priority, and I am convinced that, together with the Croatian authorities, we will be able to work on their resolution in a very productive manner. I also had the opportunity to visit areas devastated by the war as well. I was in Sisak, where I visited our regional centre and the Croatian De-mining Centre.
• When you go through those war-affected areas, you realise that Croatia is a country of contrasts. The picture you see in Zagreb is very positive and dynamic, while over there, there are still huge problems in the sense of reconstruction, creation of conditions for return. The economic depression is clearly visible in those areas, as well, which is, apart from administrative problems, a significant factor when it comes to return.
• Last year, at the time of deciding whether the Mission would be extended or terminated, many people said that, by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement between Croatia and the European Union, the OSCE Mission became a surplus since the majority of issues from its mandate correspond to that agreement precisely.
In the last several months, we initiated a broader dialogue with the Government regarding the issues encompassed by the Mission’s mandate and I have to say that there is still a lot that needs to be resolved. The Stabilization and Association Agreement is not a substitute for the work of the OSCE Mission to Croatia. The Agreement, namely, clearly indicates that the issues with which the OSCE Mission is
1 dealing have great significance for the European Union and its member countries, and I am of the opinion that this would be the foundation for our work in the future.
I think that we will cooperate with the European Union in the real sense of partnership, with our work being supplemented and mutually strengthened, creating in such a manner the conditions for more profound cooperation with the Croatian Government since our activities are directed towards the strategic goals which are the same as those of the Croatian Government. In such a manner, Croatia will become an attractive and desirable candidate for membership in the European Union.
• When you talk like that, it all seems like a long-lasting process.
I do not wish to engage in speculations about the time limit. All OSCE Missions are by their nature temporary and, therefore, this Mission will not last forever either. I think one could say that one of our goals is working towards making ourselves superfluous, but we should focus on the resolution of tasks and not on the duration of the Mission.
• However, it is a fact that you were the last Head of the Mission to Latvia, which was closed recently. Can your arrival in Croatia, therefore, be interpreted as a signal that the OSCE indeed intends to close the Mission by the end of this year?
I do not want to comment on that. There are some parallels between Croatia and Latvia. Latvia has had negotiations with the European Union for some time already, and it has good chances of becoming a member in the first round of expansion. I am very pleased with the fact that Croatia has started with negotiations, and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement is the first step on that way. There are other interesting parallels between Croatia and Latvia.
There is a psychological burden in Croatia, because of the war and the victims, but I hope that, in time, it will become clear to everyone that the return of refugees is not a threat to your country, but something that is to its advantage. The return of refugees, naturally, of those who wish to return, is the only way to heal the wounds caused by the war, and, in time, of the establishment of a harmonious society in Croatia.
Naturally, there are also other aspects of that problem, like the financial one. The international community is ready to assist with significant funds, and it has already done this. However, Croatia will also have to pay a large part of the bill. In that sense, it is important to comprehend that it is not just an expense like any other, but an investment into Croatia’s future, into an integrated and harmonious society, and a way towards the full membership in the EU.
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