Pahor & Johannesson Talk Ukraine, Western Balkans
STA, August 28, 2022 – At Sunday’s meeting in Ljubljana, President Borut Pahor and Icelandic President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson advocated a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis. They highlighted the important role of Slovenia in the Western Balkans and confirmed the good relations between Slovenia and Iceland.
“It is a special honor for me to be able to officially host the President of Iceland in the year when Slovenia celebrates the 30th anniversary of the international recognition of its full entry into the international community, including admission to the United Nations,” said Pahor. , noting that in December 1991, Iceland was the first internationally recognized country to recognize Slovenia.
The two presidents confirmed that relations between Slovenia and Iceland are good, as the two countries, which have similar views, participate in the European Economic Area, NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and other international associations. At the same time, Pahor announced that Iceland supports Slovenia’s candidacy for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
They again condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine and noted that no one seemed ready to sit down at the negotiating table. They expressed their desire to start negotiations as soon as possible to save human suffering and resolve the conflict peacefully. Pahor added that the Ukrainian authorities, state and people should not be forced into a peaceful solution to the conflict until they themselves are ready for it.
The two presidents emphasized the importance of multilateralism and the political and legal order in the international community and pledged to work to revive and strengthen multilateralism.
They also emphasized that both Slovenia and Iceland are affected by internal social divisions, and stressed the need to maintain a sense of community and promote tolerance. “We do not want the differences in our societies to increase. We want to see a society in which xenophobia is not allowed, in which hatred against parts of society is not allowed and in which there is freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom to preserve society as a whole,” emphasized Johannesson.
Regarding the Western Balkans, Pahor said that it is a region with great potential for development, as well as a region that, until the war in Ukraine, was the only one in Europe to have experienced a war after the Second World War. He pointed out that the region must be treated with special sensitivity and emphasized that Slovenia has good relations with all countries in the region and strives to make Euro-Atlantic integration faster and more efficient.
The Icelandic president highlighted Slovenia’s important role for the region and said that he believes that Slovenia, with its position and history, can do a lot of good in this part of Europe.
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon met with Johannesson and Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Gylfadottir this morning. The interlocutors talked about the importance of respecting international law in the light of the war in Ukraine and about the possibilities of cooperation, Fajonova announced on Twitter.
In the afternoon, the two presidents ceremoniously opened the bench of friendship between the two countries in Bohinj.
On Monday, Johannesson will attend the Bled Strategic Forum and participate in the leaders’ panel. He will also meet with Prime Minister Robert Golob, Speaker of the National Assembly Urška Klakočar Zupančič and Minister of Environment and Space Uroš Brežan, Pahor’s office announced.