NEWS
Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek concludes her visit to Norway
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Alenka Bratušek, concluded her two-day visit to the Kingdom of Norway. The visit was designed to boost economic cooperation between the two countries and featured a business-investment conference where the Slovenian Prime Minister and the Minister of Economic Development and Technology presented the process of privatisation of Slovenian companies. When meeting with her Norwegian counterpart, Erna Solberg, Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek expressed the wish for the two countries to upgrade their good political relations with stronger economic cooperation.
On her first day in the Norwegian capital, the Prime Minister met with Slovenians living there, who acquainted her with the Norwegian way of life; she was in particular interested to learn about features that make it different from life in Slovenia.
The second day of the visit was devoted to a business-investment conference organised jointly by the Slovenian Government and the Innovation Norway Group. In her introductory address Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek stressed the fact that the conference was already the fifth in a row of such events organized by the Slovenian Government in European cities. She explained the economic situation in Slovenia to representatives of Norwegian companies, highlighting the fact that macroeconomic indicators in recent months are on the rise. She stressed that economic recovery and privatisation were top priorities of her Government, and that Slovenia was looking for long-term strategic partners; she indicated that the recent sale of some companies is proof that Slovenia is serious about privatisation.
Slovenian Prime Minister also met with her Norwegian counterpart, Erna Solberg. The Norwegian prime Minister said she was happy to welcome Alenka Bratušek. "We spoke about economic challenges as well as challenges concerning Ukraine and the Western Balkans. It is my desire that the current good cooperation would continue and would even be upgraded" Prime Minister Solberg said.
Prime Minister Bratušek thanked for the warm welcome commenting that she admired Norway as an extremely kind and hospitable country. "The Scandinavian model of welfare state could serve as a model and proof to Slovenia that a country can be economically successful and still a welfare state", said Bratušek adding that "we agreed that political relations between the two countries are excellent, however, they could be upgraded with stronger economic cooperation. This is the reason for this morning's business conference where we presented the current economic situation in Slovenia and the first privatisation package under which strategic partners are being searched for 12 companies and a bank. Norwegian companies and partners would, of course, be extremely welcome." Prime Minister Bratušek invited her Norwegian colleague to visit Slovenia and thanked her for her exquisite hospitality with "tusen takk".