Prime Minister Golob: 'Appointing a Commissioner in charge of enlargement is the right approach'

Prime Minister Dr Golob at the Leaders' Panel | Author Daniel Novakovič/STA

At the leaders' panel, which was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, Prime Minister Golob expressed his support for the intentions of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to appoint a dedicated Commissioner for the enlargement of the European Union in her forthcoming mandate. "I believe that appointing a Commissioner to really focus on this area is the right approach. As the President of the European Commission said, it is also important to have a growth plan with its own financial resources (EUR 6 billion), which are available to all those who show progress in implementing reforms," said Prime Minister Golob.

"I think this is the right response to the times we live in. Sometimes we overlook those, perhaps slightly smaller, but more complex problems that are very close to our hearts," said Prime Minister Golob, thanking Croatian Prime Minister Plenković for the joint efforts in the European Council to ensure that the Western Balkans are not overlooked. "In recent years, the European Council has been trying to change the approach of enlargement policy so that the Western Balkans are not overlooked, but rather brought closer," recalled Prime Minister Golob.

In the discussion, Prime Minister Golob explained that Slovenia has a good reputation in the Global South, which is a consequence of Slovenia's position on Palestine: "Our support for Palestine is also about underlining how double standards are an important problem that many European countries do not address, but Slovenia does." He added that Slovenia's recognition sent a message to the whole world, not only to the Palestinian people - a message that we understand our moral obligations. "Any hope we can send to Palestine is better than doing nothing," said Prime Minister Golob.

The Prime Minister went on to express his support for all those who are fighting from within against systems that violate human rights. "I express my deepest gratitude to those who are working in the face of a hostile regime, and this does not only apply to Russia. This is also true for Israel, and although it is a controversial issue, I believe that we must support any opposition that stands up to a regime that violates international humanitarian law," the Prime Minister said.

After the panel of leaders, Prime Minister Golob presented a special award of the Bled Strategic Forum, which commemorates the great man and human rights activist in Russia, Alexander Navalny, and is an expression of Slovenia's strong solidarity and support for his wife, Yulia Navalnaya.

Prime Minister Golob concluded his day in Bled by holding a traditional meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković. The meeting focused on the potential to further enhance the very rich and diversified bilateral relations between Slovenia and Croatia, as well as on major European issues and the situation in the Western Balkans.