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Slovenia - NATO

After gaining independence, Slovenia avidly sought NATO membership as part of its overall strategy of integration into the most important international economic, financial, and security organizations. After receiving an invitation to join NATO at the NATO Prague Summit in November 2002, Slovenes approved NATO accession with a vote of 66% in a March 2003 referendum. The National Assembly ratified accession to the North Atlantic Treaty in February 2004, and Slovenia officially became a member of the Alliance on March 29, 2004.

By 2006 two general attitudes had emerged on Slovenia's relationship to NATO and the EU. The first, espoused most clearly by the Jansa government and members of Slovenia's security and defense establishment, viewed NATO as the world's pre-eminent security institution and sought to address common threats through the complementary use of NATO and EU resources. The second attitude, articulated most clearly by members of the center-left opposition as well as by a majority of academics and media commentators, viewed the U.S. as a hegemonic -- if not neo-imperialist -- power, which ought to be held in check by a more "multilateral" European security policy.

Slovenia's international commitments showed its willingness to become a co-provider of security in the region. Slovenia contributed helicopters, medical personnel, military police, and an infantry company to the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) and continues to be very active in the European Union Force (EUFOR). As of April 2010, Slovenia had 27 troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ALTHEA, EUFOR, Joint Enterprise, NATO). In Kosovo, Slovenia actively participates in the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) with 356 troops. There are 72 Slovenian personnel with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, 14 troops in Lebanon (UNIFIL), 2 in Syria (UNTSO), 2 in Serbia and 2 in Macedonia as part of NATO's Joint Enterprise missions, and 1 as part of EU's anti-piracy mission off of Somalia.

The Government of Slovenia has diligently pursued its restructuring, reorganization, modernization, and procurement with the paramount goal of NATO interoperability. The United States has encouraged Slovenia to maintain the pace of reform--including the establishment of closer links with regional partners--even following its attainment of full membership in NATO.