Slovenia - Meeting between Catherine Colonna and her Slovenian counterpart (8 January 2024)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna hosted her Slovenian counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon today in Paris.

The ministers signed a Franco-Slovenian action plan that defines the strategic partnership between our two countries for the period of 2024-2027. They hailed the excellent bilateral relationship between France and Slovenia and our two countries’ close cooperation within the EU and the UN; this comes as France holds the monthlong Security Council presidency, which it took up on January 1, and Slovenia was elected to a two-year term as a non-permanent member. The ministers also discussed joint economic projects between our two countries, particularly in the transportation, nuclear and aerospace sectors.

The ministers addressed the international situation as well as the situation in Europe. They stressed their unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s continued illegal, unjustified aggression, in defiance of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. While renewing their commitment to EU membership for Ukraine and Moldova, Ms. Colonna and Ms. Fajon agreed that the EU’s enlargement to include the Wester Balkans was a strategic necessity and that the membership process as a whole should be accompanied by a reform of European institutions.

Lastly, the ministers agreed on the need to maintain regional stability in both the Balkans and the Caucasus. In the Middle East, three months after the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas, France reiterates its staunch commitment to promoting a just and lasting peace as part of the two-state solution and the need to avoid a regional escalation.