PHOTO: BOBO
President Bush also thanked the Slovenian Prime Minister for briefing him on the situation in the region. He stressed that Mr Janša was a man with a clear vision, who understood how to approach problems and thus achieve the best possible results. ''And so the fact that you talked about the Balkans in such clear fashion will help us work with you to achieve certain objectives. I want to thank you for that,'' said Mr Bush, who also recalled his visit to Slovenia. He said that after returning home, he had told people that Slovenia was an interesting 'slice of heaven', with wonderful people. The US President added that he was confident that by working together they could improve the lives not only of their respective citizens, but also of those who were struggling against forms of government that would not allow them to have free expression and self-government.
Prime Minister Janša first thanked Mr Bush for the invitation to the USA, then said that Slovenia still remembered his visit to the country, and stressed that he hoped to continue with good cooperation in the future. Mr Janša also thanked President Bush for information regarding events in the Western Balkans. He expressed his satisfaction that they shared the same views on the development of the region, particularly regarding security. ''As we received a lot of assistance when joining NATO and the European Union, we now believe it is our duty to help other countries. Slovenia will be presiding over the European Union in the first half of 2008, during which time an EU-US Summit is planned. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit Slovenia then,'' said the PM.
Mr Janša also added that Slovenia is to preside over the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, where one of the key issues will be Iran and that therefore he and President Bush also focused on this issue. He stressed Slovenia's position that the international community should remain united and that it was vital to solve the issue by diplomatic means. ''As head of this agency, Slovenia will also tackle the issue of financing and the budget. We hope that on the basis of the experience we gained when trying to settle a similar issue in the OSCE, we will be able to solve the problem,'' concluded the Prime Minister.
PHOTO: BOBO
With regard to energy resources the PM emphasised the fact that their diversification was in strategic interest to both the USA and Europe. “We very much agree along these lines, as we both depend on foreign resources. We agreed that this issue could be resolved more easily if the European Union had a common energy policy. Unfortunately, this is not yet so; therefore, this issue will be one of the key priorities of Slovenia’s EU presidency in 2008,’’ said the PM.
According to Mr Janša, relations between the USA and Slovenia are very good. “We are very grateful to the USA for their decisive support for Slovenia’s accession to NATO. Now that we are members of NATO, we feel the responsibility to contribute to the enlargement of the peace and stability area, and we share our opinion with the USA. We are not interested only in what happens in our backyard, but are aware that in a globalised world the global situation eventually influences one’s own position at home. We also seek to make use of as many opportunities as possible for economic cooperation, which has not been bad, with the total value of imports and exports amounting to almost $600 million. In order to take a step forward we have organised a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, which will take place tomorrow. Thus, we seek to increase opportunities for direct foreign investment by US partners in the Slovenian economy, which amounted to $130 million in 2005, while Slovenian investment reached $50 million. There remain ample opportunities in this field, so the visit will also focus on this issue,” said the Slovenian PM.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister also met with the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, to discuss, among other things, topical subjects of the Transatlantic Agenda. During the discussion about the situation in the area of the Western Balkans "we have been given assurances that the U.S. will not withdraw from this area and will take part in defining the final status for Kosovo as well as in finding the ultimate solution to the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina", said the Prime Minister. During his talks with representatives of the U.S. administration, particularly from the legislative branch of power, the Prime Minister perceived their concern about possible development of the situation in Russia. The U.S. is worried about the "consolidation" of the existing regime, and, at the same time, acknowledges that, in the past few years, Russia has been making very pragmatic decisions that are harmonised with the international community, giving rise to considerable speculation on possible future developments. And this is a matter of our interest, too. "A positive development of democratic processes in Russia is a strategic issue for the EU, not only because the Russian Federation is the EU's key partner in the area of energy supply but also due to the influence the Russian Federation has on its neighbours", concluded the Prime Minister Janez Janša.
