Sekundarni povzetek: |
A new country gains the status of a sovereign state by diplomatic recognition of the international community. Route towards the Slovenian independence began with the adoption of the appropriate document by the Slovenian Parliament, which was the first step on the path towards international recognition and although it did not take much time, it was one of the most important steps taken towards the Slovenian independence. Already in September 1991, Slovenia established diplomatic relations with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, however it only gained statehood status on December 18, 1991 when Germany, Iceland, and Sweden - sovereign countries and members of the UN - diplomatically recognized Slovenia. Interestingly, some of at-the-time the biggest international players such as the United States of America, Italy, and France, opposed the Slovenian independence and pushed for Slovenia to remain part of Yugoslavia. On the way to its independence and international recognition, Slovenia was not only dealing with the Yugoslav crisis, loss of the Yugoslav market, the Balkan war and disapproval from the big international players, but also with the dissatisfaction and hostility from the "transformed" communist leaders such as Milan Kučan and Ciril Ribičič, whose goal was to prevent the collapse of Yugoslavia and preserve the old regime. Moreover, international recognition of Slovenia presented a major problem due to the factors taking place in the international political environment at the time, which included the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The highlight of Slovenia's independence movement was the recognition from the United States of America on April 7, 1992, and Slovenia's membership in the United Nations in May 1992. Based on these recognitions, the Republic of Slovenia had the opportunity to establish a foreign policy system as well as diplomatic representations around the world. |