The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and current President of the European Council, Janez Janša, today - together with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering - attended a meeting with 21 religious leaders representing Christian churches as well as Jewish and Islamic communities in Europe. The aim of the meeting is to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the European Union and religious communities. Today’s discussion focused primarily on an exchange of views on the possibilities afforded by intercultural dialogue in tackling current global challenges.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
In his address, Prime Minister Janez Janša noted that the subject selected – the ‘fight against climate change’ – concerns all of humanity, regardless of nationality, culture or race. “Unless we take timely action, we run the risk of entire regions facing food shortages and famine,” stressed the Slovenian Prime Minister. He stressed that the European Union had set itself two key objectives to be attained by 2020: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% with respect to 1990, and to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 20% of total energy consumption.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
“The European Union is endeavouring to reach an effective and comprehensive global agreement in December next year in Copenhagen. It is striving for shared but differentiated responsibility between countries in the international community as well as in favour of increasing the transfer of new environment-friendly technologies to developing countries,” said the Slovenian Premier and expressed his belief that the plan adopted in December 2007 in Bali had been the right one. “We must therefore devote our entire attention to achieving this objective, taking into account the principles of interdependence and mutual assistance, to ensure the involvement of new world actors in this process.”
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
The President of the European Council, Mr Janez Janša, also said that the pressing issue of climate change called for urgent joint action to be taken by governments, enterprises and citizens worldwide; this being the only means of achieving ecological conversion. “Since the impacts of climate change on the planet are distributed in a manner that is not proportional to the reasons for climate change, significantly more intercultural solidarity is required than has been witnessed so far,” underlined the President of the European Council, Janez Janša. In his words, climate change also requires a significant shift in the fields of science, research and innovation, as well as a need to adapt the educational system and activate any available potential in society in order to effectively implement the available solutions.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
As a tangible result in this field during Slovenia’s European Council Presidency and during the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, Slovenia wishes to implement the project of establishing a Euro-Mediterranean University on the Slovenian coast, which would be a tangible expression of intercultural dialogue. “The new university should become a meeting place for young people of Islamic, Jewish and Christian backgrounds,” concluded Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša.
Speech by the Prime Minister
Press Conference by the Prime Minister, President of the European Commission and European Parliament
