The gradual formation of a new defence system and our own armed forces was an important part of the preparations for the actual independence of Slovenia, which was implemented particularly carefully due to the objections at home and abroad. Following a fierce debate that did not lack strong opposition to the Military Service Act, especially from the deputies of the Party of Democratic Reform (the former League of Communists) and the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, the Slovenian Assembly finally adopted the last urgent systemic act required for independence in the field of defence. Despite 70 amendments submitted to the proposed act and a fierce exchange of views, the Act was adopted with 115 votes in favour, 25 against and twelve abstentions. In addition to military service, the relevant Act also governed the community service.

In his address, the Prime Minister initially highlighted that Slovenia obtained its first act on military service thirty years ago yesterday, which at the time anticipated the shortest military service in Europe with the possibility of community service and training and was threefold less expensive per soldier, according to calculations made at that time, than what was being paid to the Yugoslav People's Army. "Nevertheless, the saga on how the act was adopted was much more complicated than what we have heard in the short introduction, as this act was not put forward and adopted on 18 April but was the result of a six-month governmental and parliamentary procedure and the resistance against its adoption was immense," explained the Prime Minister, adding that the balance of power throughout the adoption was exceptionally close and the procedure had to be repeated several times.

As he further explained, 240 delegates met at the hall and the premises of the National Council in three separate chambers, i.e. the Chamber of Associated Labour, the Chamber of Municipalities and the Socio‑Political Chamber. "Each chamber consisted of 80 delegates and an act was adopted under the condition that all three chambers passed the act with the same wording. If it was not passed in one of them, long-term harmonisation was required, and the voting was repeated. If the second vote was also unsuccessful, it was possible to convene a joint session of all three chambers at which all 240 delegates cast their votes," Prime Minister Janša explained, adding that the Military Service Act was just such an act, faced with the necessity of overcoming this long procedural ordeal, first in all three chambers and then at the joint voting. "I think Jelko Kacin, Miran Bogataj and myself addressed all three chambers some 147 times. The then opposition claimed that Slovenia was establishing paramilitary forces and it was thus opposed to the entire act until the end. And this was after the plebiscite when the plans to conscript young men into the Slovenian Armed Forces were drafted and planned practically simultaneously with the plebiscite," added the Prime Minister and continued by pointing out that the legal basis to conscript the first two minor contingents for training was obtained only on 18 April 1991.

"The Military Service Act was the last of the three conditions that needed to be met. The first condition was the Defence Act, which had undergone a similar procedure and was adopted sometime round 30 March. Then, there was the budget, because no training and no equipment is possible without the necessary funds. Although the budget was proposed by the Government in October 1990, it was only adopted at the end of March 1991 after many complications," stated Prime Minister Janša and noted that the main reason for the opposition voting against the budget at the time was an objection to defence expenditure, despite this being ten times lower than what Slovenia had previously been paying for defence. "However, the adoption of the budget actually enabled the conscription of that first symbolic generation of Slovenian soldiers who took their oath in Ig and Pekre at the beginning of June," continued the Prime Minister.

As highlighted in his address, Slovenia, throughout the gaining of its independence, insisted on carrying out all the steps towards this goal strictly legally, i.e. "nothing without a proper legal basis". "As the date of the declaration of the independent state was approaching, it was clear to everyone that these 300 young men who started military training would not suffice for the defence of Slovenia, which we knew would be attacked once the plebiscite will was realised. We were also aware that the adoption of this act would be a powerful, immense and irreplaceable symbolic step towards independence. As was said at the time by delegate France Tomšič, it was clear that if you do not control the budget or the purse from which weapons are paid for, you are not sovereign," stated Prime Minister Janša.

He also emphasised that, in the course of thirty years, the Slovenian Armed Forces walked along steep, straight and also winding roads, "but nothing can diminish the key contribution of the Slovenian Armed Forces composed of the Slovenian Territorial Defence and the Slovenian Police at the time when the Slovenian state was being formed." "If there had been no Slovenian Armed Forces when the state was declared, it would merely have been an operetta proclamation of independence, as many said at the time," said the Prime Minister.

By forming our own defence forces, we passed the exam of maturity for an independent life, which later also served as one of the key and basic arguments for international recognition. "When the U.S. Senate discussed the membership of new members to NATO, I think, in 2002 or 2003, Bruce Jackson, President of the US Committee on NATO, said that NATO was an organisation in which the principle of collective defence applies and where an attack on one member is considered an attack on everyone and defence is collective. Jackson also said that there were long debates and many doubts when new members were being accepted. But there was no doubt when it came to Slovenia, as NATO was accepting a country which had proved that it could defend itself and had done so only recently. They were thus not welcoming a country that would merely benefit from the collective security, but a country capable of contributing to the collective defence effort," pointed out the Prime Minister. He continued that this was the added value and one of the rare events by which the contribution of the Slovenian Armed Forces to the emergence and existence of the Slovenian state was demonstrated directly and also later when difficult decisions regarding our state were being made.

"Thirty years ago, when this Act was being passed, we saw a completely different future ahead than we see today. But there are three things that are completely identical and, as revealed through time, these are the things one needs when making such decisions. The first one is the knowledge that enables you to see several steps ahead. The second one is the courage to recognise the challenges and dangers lurking in the future, and the third one is the decisiveness that enables you to take action to protect your loved ones, your country and your homeland from the threat," assessed the Prime Minister.

According to Prime Minister Janša, the challenges today differ from those 30 years ago. "Today, Slovenia is integrated internationally in an environment which is friendly towards it. For the first time in our history, we are surrounded by countries with which we not only have friendly relations, but we also share with them a formal connection, within the EU and NATO. In addition to this relatively favourable direct external environment, the world is facing many crises and we would be blind not to recognise the challenges and risks ahead," said the Prime Minister. As one of the main challenges, Prime Minister Janša highlighted the decisions relating to defence and military service. "The purpose of the new Military Service Act, which defines the military service more broadly than it is known today, is to promptly prepare our country and our homeland for the potential challenges that we will face within the collective defence system. Because the latter may quickly forget those who are not prepared to contribute anything to successful defence," explained the Prime Minister.

In the end, Prime Minister Janša wished knowledge, courage and decisiveness to all present representatives of the Slovenian Armed Forces in recognising the future that is ahead. He added that, in the apparent dilemma of whether butter or cannons should be given precedence, it is great wisdom to acknowledge that both are important. "The past teaches us that if cannons are forgotten, butter sooner or later runs out, and through its turbulent history, the Slovenian nation has experienced this cruelly and bitterly first-hand," said the Prime Minister. "It is the duty of the Slovenian state, which emerged 30 years ago, to ensure that the Slovenian nation will never again have to experience such hardships and the Slovenian Armed Forces are the guarantee that this will not happen," declared Prime Minister Janez Janša at the conclusion of his address.

Matej Tonin, Minister of Defence, and the leaders of the Slovenian Armed Forces, were also present at the ceremony, which was further addressed by Alojz Kovšca, President of the National Council.