Immediately before the opening ceremony of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and the current President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, met the President of the European Parliament, Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering.

 

(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

On the basis of the talks held between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament at Brdo pri Kranju in December, and the arrangements made on this occasion, both presidents re-examined how the Slovenian Presidency and the European Parliament could best jointly accomplish the tasks facing Europe in the first half of 2008.

 

(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

In so doing, they paid special attention to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the launch of the new cycle of the renewed Lisbon Strategy, the energy-climate package and – as befits today's occasion - intercultural dialogue. As both presidents promised at the December meeting, the Slovenian Presidency and the European Parliament would cooperate closely in addressing all these challenges.