WEBVTT

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Great. The whole team, I see.
Always more numerous.

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Yeah, okay.

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There are many
topics to discuss today,

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but I'd venture to say
that this was a regular meeting

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without a crisis situation.

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Perhaps we've gotten used
to crisis situations,

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and things are now moving
in a common direction.

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We'll have a debate, but I don't
expect any major surprises.

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There's plenty of interest,
from the situation in Russia

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and our continued support
for Ukraine.

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This will take most
of our time.

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We'll also look at the situation
closer to home,

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in the Western Balkans
and particularly in Kosovo;

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both the economy
and the issue of migrants,

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what joint policies to adopt

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so we could deal with future
migrant crises more effectively.

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Again, these are all
major topics,

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but there are no
major dilemmas

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because we're now dealing
with gradual policies.

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Are there any concerns
about the slow progress

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of the Ukrainian counter-offensive?
And a financial question.

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How do you view the development
of monetary policy?

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Further tightening is expected.
Is this a potential risk...

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As for monetary policy,
it's a fact

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that inflation remains higher
than forecast

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by the European Central Bank,
so the actions make sense.

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The situation will probably
remain unchanged

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for the rest of the year.

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We'll need to be patient

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and an understanding that
until inflation stops,

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and it doesn't look
like that's happening,

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such actions
will continue to be needed.

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As for the military matters,
no, there are no concerns.

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I believe this will be discussed
at the NATO summit

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in Vilnius. Today, we discussed
Ukraine in the context

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of how the EU could help
with supplies,

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and financial aid to help
Ukraine function as a country.

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Today, we'll discuss
security guarantees,

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which balance measures
taken by the EU

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with those taken by NATO.

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We'll be joined by
the Secretary General of NATO,

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and I believe we'll
discuss that as well.

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What is Slovenia's position
on Russia's frozen assets

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and Russia's criminal responsibility
for crimes in Ukraine?

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Slovenia has made it clear
that it supports

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a criminal court for this case.

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For now, we're leaning on having
this done under UN auspices,

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rather than setting up
something new,

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but there's no consensus
regarding this.

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As a future member
of the Security Council,

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we'd like to see a strengthened
role for the UN.

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As for the availability
of Russian assets,

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we urge caution.
We could set a precedent

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if we made any rash
or extrajudicial moves.

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If we believe in the rule of law,
we should also act

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in the rule of law in this case.
This is our guiding principle.

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We can look for solutions
within this framework.

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As for Russia, how do you
view the risk

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of destabilization?
Is there such a risk?

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And should Ukraine become
a NATO member when the war is over

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or as soon as possible?

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As for the NATO membership,
there are many different views

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and formulas.

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Time will tell if any
of these formulas are acceptable,

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but a permanent peace
is one of the conditions

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that we won't be able
to back off easily

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for us to even begin
talking about this matter.

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Ukraine is on a Euro-Atlantic
pathway,

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but how long that takes
depends on many factors.

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As we see in the Western Balkans,
this road can sometimes

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take longer than we'd like.

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What was the other question?
-The destabilization of Russia.

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Regarding last weekend's events,
I can only say

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that any long-term war
represents a major stressor

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for anyone involved.

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This became evident
in Russia's domestic affairs

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last weekend.
Mercenary armies have never

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contributed to the stability
of any country.

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I believe this is no exception.

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The lessons of history
are clear here,

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and we should learn
from them.

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What consequences can this
have for the EU and Slovenia,

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this long-term instability?

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No one wants a long-term war
precisely because

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of the instability
that is spread out as a result.

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Our guiding principle remains
looking for peace

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when an opportunity arises.
I believe we're approaching

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a period when we'll be able
to talk about peace again.

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What about security guarantees
regarding Ukraine's

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membership in the EU and NATO?
What is Slovenia's position?

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What guarantees can it provide?

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Security guarantees are an entirely
new topic.

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For now, we don't foresee
an expansion

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of existing plans
bur rather including

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those plans under a common
umbrella.

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Nothing more than
that has been discussed.

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Where does Slovenia fit in here?
-Slovenia is in favor

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of carrying on
under this umbrella

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and helping Ukraine in terms
of both defending

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critical infrastructure
and reconstruction,

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so the country can function
and receives our financial aid.

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Do you feel that the events
over the weekend

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caused cracks
in the Russian system?

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These are Russia's internal affairs.
I don't want to comment on them

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or speculate about them. The risks
of mercenary armies are well-known.