NEWS

Prime Minister Pahor at the International European Movement Congress

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today attended the international congress “Civil Society Organisations Challenging the Authorities”, at which the central part of the discussion was devoted to reinforcing the role of civil society organisations in the Western Balkans and to the process of accession of the countries of the region to the European Union.

 

(Foto: Bor Slana/Bobo)

  

On the margins of the meeting, the Prime Minister Pahor met with the Speaker of Montenegro’s Parliament, Ranko Krivokapić, and with Pat Cox, President of the International European Movement.

  

In his address, Prime Minister Pahor underlined the need for new partnerships and links to be established, since these are of  particular importance in times of economic, financial, social and ethical crisis. President of the International European Movement Pat Cox, for his part, pointed out that today’s crisis constitutes a turning point, when the involvement of new players in civil society, independent of governments, gives added value to our response to the crisis.

     

At the close of the meeting, the civil society organisations prepared a closing statement, in which they noted that the development of civil society in the Western Balkans is a success story linked to the process of transition and accession to the European Union. They called on political leaders to lend their support and to recognize that civil society organisations actually play a key role in encouraging democracy and the principles of an open society.