Against the backdrop of the 'A Welcome to the Euro' ceremony, the Prime Minister Janez Janša held a bilateral meeting with the Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, who said that Slovenia, which has succeeded Greece as the youngest member of the Eurozone, was a success story.

(Photo: Nebojša Tejić/Salomon 2000)

The Slovenian and Greek Prime Ministers agreed that the excellent relations between the two countries needed to be upgraded. In comparison with 2005, trade in goods doubled in 2006, but many opportunities for closer cooperation remain unexploited, particularly in agriculture, tourism and environmental protection. The introduction of the euro in Slovenia provides additional encouragement for intensifying cooperation, which could also be strengthened with better transport connections.

The Prime Ministers confirmed their mutual interest in filling the regional geographical void in Euro-Atlantic organisations between Slovenia and Greece. Both countries are actively working to that end. When discussing the situation in the Western Balkans, they agreed that a Euro-Atlantic perspective is the most potent tool for stabilising the region and that it is also of key importance in ensuring the advancement of pro-democratic and pro-European forces.

With regard to the future of Europe, it has become clear that the views of Slovenia and Greece, one of the first countries to ratify the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, are also similar.