NEWS
Prime Minister Pahor attended the 3rd EU-Africa Summit
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, attended, on 29-30 November 2010, EU-Africa Summit in Tripoli, in which the leaders of African countries and EU Member States adopted documents for the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy. As the keynote speaker, Prime Minister Pahor addressed distinguished guests on the topic of international security and peace.
In the margins of the Summit, Prime Minister Pahor met with the host and leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Muammar al-Gaddafi; the two leaders have undertaken to continue excellent bilateral relations by deepening business ties. As the first step towards closer cooperation, the Libyan leader confirmed the investment of the Libyan Investment Authority in the sports centre Stožice amounting to 30 million euros. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, met with Libyan Prime Minister El Baghdadi Ali el Mahmoudi who handed over to him an official letter confirming with his signature the said investment to recapitalise the sports facility Stožice project.
Prime Minister Pahor took the opportunity to meet with a number of other African leaders, among others, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, with whom he has agreed on establishing closer political and economic relations between the two countries and his visit with a business delegation to Algeria next year. The two also agreed on the conclusion of bilateral agreements on economic cooperation and avoidance of double taxation.
In the margins of the summit, Prime Minister Pahor had a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan who was a special guest of Libyan President Gadafi and with whom the Slovenian Prime Minister agreed that the Slovenian economic delegation pays a visit to Turkey in the next year. Prime Minister Pahor had a separate meeting with Hungary’s President Pál Schmitt; the two have committed to completing the road section at the Hungary-Slovenia border, which is of particular importance for the Slovenian minority in Hungary. In bilateral talks, the Slovenian Prime Minister and the Croatian President, Ivo Josipović, welcomed the beginning of the entry into force of the Arbitration Agreement and shared the opinion that this is a big step towards deepening cooperation and friendship between the two states. With the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the Prime Minister of Portugal, José Sócrates, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and the President of the Eurogroup, Jean Claude Juncker, and the Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, Prime Minister Pahor discussed the tackling of financial crisis in Europe and the measures to maintain confidence in the common currency.
Prime Minister Pahor also met, in the margins of the summit, with his Macedonian counterpart, Nikola Gruevski, with whom he discussed the progress of Macedonia towards the European Union. He also held a meeting with Vice-President of Nigeria, Namady Sambo, with whom he agreed on the conclusion of cooperation memorandum that will provide a basis for future cooperation in the areas of common interest, including energy and infrastructure. In light of strengthening relations with African countries, the meetings of the Slovenian Prime Minister with the Vice-President of Zambia, George Kunda, the Vice-President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, and the president of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires are worth mentioning. Prime Minister Pahor asked his discussion partners to support Slovenia’s candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council.