Slovenia – Visit by Clément Beaune (Ljubljana, 18-19 March 2021)

Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will visit Slovenia from March 18 to 19.
The minister of state will be received by Borut Pahor, President of Slovenia. He will meet with Anze Logar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as with his counterpart responsible for European affairs, Gasper Dovzan.

Preparations for the Slovenian and French presidencies of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2021 and the first half of 2022, respectively, will be a central focus of this working visit. Discussions will focus on the major priorities for the Slovenian presidency in support of a more sovereign, sustainable and inclusive Europe, in a spirit of close coordination and continuity with our forthcoming presidency, as well as Slovenia’s goals with respect to the ecological and digital transition and prospects for strengthening European resilience in order to respond to crises.

The minister of state will underscore the importance of the issues at stake in terms of protecting European citizens, building a social Europe, strengthening external border controls, within the framework of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the prospects for Schengen reform, the fight against terrorism and cyber security.

Clément Beaune will take stock of European coordination in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the work in progress on the Conference on the Future of Europe, which will be a central focus of our successive presidencies. He will discuss major European issues with students during a round table on the future of Europe.

During his visit, Mr. Beaune is scheduled to speak with representatives from the French business community established in Slovenia.