Prime Minister Janša: If the EU finds the right approach, it will stabilize energy prices
“I am pleased that yesterday we reached an agreement on the sixth bundle of sanctions, a package that was more demanding than the previous five, as it includes part of the energy package and all Member States do not find themselves in the same position. The hardest nut was to find a solution for those countries, “Slovenia does not have access to oil tankers. Fortunately, Slovenia has such access, so we were more concerned with finding solutions for others,” said the Prime Minister. According to him, the most difficult challenge in the field of energy is still ahead of us, and that is the issue of gas. “Good luck to those who know how to find a solution for the squaring of the circle,” added Prime Minister Janša.
“As far as the situation in Ukraine is concerned, sanctions are not a key issue, but the situation is in Donbas, given that the Russian army is advancing,” he said, adding that Russia has the upper hand in the air, armor and heavy weapons. . “If the EU and the West do not want to discuss millions of new refugees from Ukraine in one month, we need to focus on military aid to Ukraine,” said Prime Minister Jansa.
“Regarding Slovenia’s oil supply, those commercial companies that supply oil to Slovenia already guarantee that they do not supply such oil from Russian sources, and if so, then there should be no complications and no significant. Direct impact on energy prices. “If the price is very high, Russia can sell half as much oil and will still have more money to finance the war in Ukraine,” he said. at the same time, when Russia invaded Ukraine, it destabilized world markets and caused higher oil prices. , energy and food, which is the main problem, so I hope that today we will find some more concrete solutions on how to influence energy prices, “said the Prime Minister. He added that Europe has the necessary instruments at its disposal, “but we are still prisoners of the paradigm of years ago, when there was neither war nor high prices, and the paradigm of green transition prevailed at all costs.” If the EU finds the right approach, it will stabilize energy prices, “he added.
According to the Prime Minister, the proposal for the joint purchase of energy products is good, and pointed out that we proposed such an approach in October last year. “Formal frameworks are more or less set, but a lot needs to be done by the European institutions and Member States, as it is a matter of harmonizing formal European frameworks and the commercial approach that applies to the common European market,” said the Prime Minister.
Asked what are the key challenges for the future of the EU, the Prime Minister said that the key challenge in the near future is certainly the war in Ukraine, which affects everyone, including a different geostrategic distribution in the world and a minor crisis. hot spots. “It also affects further instability in the Western Balkans, and the war in Ukraine is what both Slovenian and European politics must focus on,” the prime minister said. “The key concern is to stop the invasion of Russian aggressors in the east, because if Russia conquers new territories there, it will increase the aggressor’s appetite on the one hand and political tensions in Ukraine and the loss of EU and Western credibility on the other. prices and food and energy security, so that the better or worse future of Europe and Slovenia is decided in Ukraine, “added the Prime Minister.
In the field of foreign policy, the Prime Minister advised the new government to pursue a proactive policy. “Ukraine is a neuralgic point, many details need to be known and the ability to concentrate on this neuralgic point is the key to Slovenia’s contribution to living in peace and prosperity in Europe and Slovenia in the future,” said Prime Minister Janša. . He added that he was a member of the European Council for the third time during this term and that “there is no one in the current European Council who will be with me from 2004 to 2008. If I ever become a member of the European Council again, I hope they will be brave people, which I have met in the last two years, even then members. ” In this context, the Slovenian Prime Minister especially mentioned the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Estonia, “because at the moment these women are the ones who are somehow directing the European boat in the right direction.”
Asked by foreign media about the current situation in Ukraine, the prime minister said the world had changed in February. “We are still trying to understand what important changes are happening, but we came to this situation also because we lacked ambition and answers to strategic questions. EU enlargement is one of the strategic answers to current challenges,” said Prime Minister Jansa.
Regarding the possible membership of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine in the EU, the Prime Minister said that in the talks that have been taking place since February this year, he noticed a clear dividing line in the EU on enlargement issues. “Some Member States want these countries to stay in or out of the waiting room for as long as possible, as this provides them with cheap labor. I am opposed to that. Europe has been built on other values. We are witnessing Sweden and Finland joining “This is one of the few bright moments we see in the current situation, and the EU must follow this path,” he said.
“The EU must change its standards and return to its original spirit. The EU was built as a project of peace, not just a single market, with prices and an economy that affects everyone. The June Council will therefore be the truth for the EU,” he concluded. Prime Minister Janša.