NEWS

Prime Minister attends the June European Council meeting

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Alenka Bratušek, attended the European Council meeting in Brussels. The meeting of EU Heads of State and Government was primarily focused on deciding on their candidate for President of the European Commission and on discussing priority areas of EU action in the next five-year period. EU leaders also signed very significant Association Agreements with Georgia and with the Republic of Moldova, as well as the economic part of the Association Agreement with Ukraine.

 

At the press conference after the meeting, Prime Minister Bratušek pointed out that the day was of historical importance, not only for the countries which signed the Association Agreement but also for the European Union. "The path these counties have chosen by signing the agreement will surely not be an easy one but it is a decision for European values, democracy and welfare of the citizens. This is not a decision against Russia but one made for a better future," Prime Minister Bratušek stressed.

 

She also touched upon the decisions adopted in respect of Ukraine saying that: "We have called on all sides to respect the peace process proposed by Ukraine. We hope to see dialogue with Russia, but Russia must show its willingness to cooperate through actions rather than words."

 

"We have also discussed the country-specific recommendations and thus concluded the European Semester. I again stressed that Slovenia had taken important steps in the last year. When the crisis in Slovenia reached its peak, I led the country out of difficulties left behind by the previous government. And I am proud of the achievements of our team. It is crucial that we were able to tackle our issues on our own and not have them decided by the Troika. If not, the country today would have been very different," Prime Minister Bratušek said.

 

She also devoted her attention to the proposal for the European Commission President. "We have nominated Jean-Claude Juncker. He is an experienced statesman and a good friend of Slovenia's and we have cooperated excellently," she said. The European Parliament is to vote on the new President of the European Commission in the middle of July when an agreement on other lead positions in the EU institutions is to be reached.