NEWS

Prime Minister Pahor receives Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly László Kövér

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today received the Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, László Kövér. Their talks focused on bilateral relations between the two countries and the situation in the Western Balkans. They assessed relations between the two countries as excellent and friendly.  Prime Minister Pahor drew attention to some of the areas which offer opportunities for increasing the volume of trade and strengthening cooperation on energy and infrastructure. Mr Pahor and Mr Kövér also touched on the issue of national minorities. In this regard, they agreed that the level of protection of both minorities should be preserved and that it should be ensured that they are not in any way affected by the difficult economic situation.

  

Mr Pahor and Mr Kövér also spoke about the arrest of Ratko Mladić, agreeing that this was an important step forward for Serbia and the region. The Western Balkan countries' rapprochement with the European Union is vital since it means stabilising the region as a whole and overcoming the divisions that have driven nations to war in the past. Prime Minister Pahor highlighted the vital importance of dialogue in the current situation, commending Belgrade and Pristina for starting talks. Mr Kövér welcomed Croatia's progress on its accession negotiations with the European Union, which are nearing conclusion.  He said that this has sent an important signal to other countries in the region to continue their path towards European integration