Novak in Slovenia: Europe must be united in its response to war
Europe must be united in its response to the war in Ukraine, Hungarian and Slovenian presidents Katalin Novak and Borut Pahor said at a joint conference after Friday’s conversation in Ljubljana.
The Hungarian president pointed out that this week’s meeting with Pahor was her second since assuming office earlier this year and that her visit to Slovenia was her first official trip to the neighboring country.
Novak praised the developing economic ties between Hungary and Slovenia and highlighted the increasingly close cooperation in the development of infrastructure.
Slovenia’s Prekmurje (Muravidek) and Hungary’s Rabavidek on the border are increasingly acting as a joint economic zone, Novak said, noting that the government has allocated 5 million euros each to the five-year economic development plan for the region. The President also highlighted bilateral cooperation in the fields of education, culture, heritage protection and science.
Novak thanked Slovenia for its attitude towards the Hungarian minority. “It becomes even more important in times of war,” she said. Hungarians in Slovenia can live peacefully, preserve their traditions and mother tongue, and can contribute to the development of Slovenia without having to give up their Hungarian identity, she said, adding that this also applies to Slovenians living in Hungary.
Regarding the war, Novak said that Europe must remain united in its response to the conflict. Before making decisions, however, he should consider the consequences of his decisions, she added. Europe must make decisions that harm Russia in particular, she said.
Novak said the war has also created challenges affecting the entire region, such as the energy situation, rising prices, inflation and increasing migration pressure. Coping with these challenges requires stability, which requires resources, she said, adding that Hungary also needs access to European Union funds to which it is entitled.
Meanwhile, Novak expressed Hungary’s support for EU expansion in the Western Balkans and said that granting BiH candidate status and speeding up Serbia’s accession process are in the fundamental interest of Europe.
Pahor thanked Novak for choosing Slovenia as the first neighboring country to be president. “This is a courtesy that signals the continuation of good relations between our two countries”, he noted of his eight meetings in the last ten years with former Hungarian President Janos Ader.
“We live in a very complex geopolitical time, so we need friends,” said Pahor.
He thanked the Hungarian president for her unconditional support of Slovenia’s position on the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When asked about the war in Ukraine, Pahor said that Russia attacked its neighbor “in an illegitimate, immoral way”, thereby also attacking collective European values. “We must unite for a just peace, because such a peace will only last if the rights of the attacked country are guaranteed,” said the Slovenian president.