State Secretary Štucin at the quadrilateral meeting of deputy foreign ministers

Quadrilateral meeting of deputy foreign ministers | Author BMEIA / Auer-Grumbach

The quadrilateral meeting was hosted by Secretary General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Nikolaus Marschik, who welcomed Slovenian State Secretary Marko Štucin, State Secretary of the Swiss Foreign Ministry Alexandre Fasel and Director of the Liechtenstein Foreign Office Martin Frick.

The high officials discussed topical European issues, such as the recent European Parliament elections, EU-Switzerland relations and EU enlargement. They exchanged views on migration and energy security, as well as current crises in Europe and its neighbourhood. State Secretary Štucin advocated further enlargement of the EU, which is essential for strengthening security on the European continent. Regarding the Russian aggression against Ukraine, he outlined Slovenia's activities to assist Ukraine and confirmed Slovenia's continued support. State Secretary Štucin informed his counterparts about Slovenia's recent recognition of Palestine and called for further peace efforts in the region. Slovenia, also as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, calls for respect for international law and humanitarian law and is committed to bringing about a ceasefire as soon as possible and establishing a concrete peace plan.

The quadrilateral format serves as a platform for dialogue on foreign policy issues and for cooperation in multilateral forums and the consular field. Meetings at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers are held once a year. State Secretary Štucin hosted the quadrilateral meeting in Bled on 3 March 2023.