WEBVTT

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Hello and welcome
to today's press conference

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on the occasion of the visit
by NATO General Secretary

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Mark Rutte to Slovenia,
where he is hosted

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by Prime Minister Golob,
who'll now speak.

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Hello.

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Dear Mark,
Secretary General Rutte.

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Along with the visit,
Slovenia is hosting

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the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly today.

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This means that parliamentarians
from all NATO member states,

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from the left and the right,
regardless of ideology,

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are in Ljubljana,
and they're all building

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a more secure common future.

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This is further proof
that NATO is an alliance

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based on the values of democracy
and the rule of law.

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For small countries
like Slovenia,

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that's the best guarantee
of our collective security.

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Today is a good day
for people in Gaza,

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in Palestine, and the Middle East.

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The fact that the peace process
is underway

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with the release of hostages
by Hamas

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is good news
in terms of the prospects

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for the killings and the genocide
in Gaza to end.

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I'd like to congratulate
U.S. President Trump

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for his success in forcing
the two sides

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to the negotiating table
in the name of peace.

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We expect the process
of forming two states

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to get underway now
and hope that Slovenia and the EU

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in general will have
a meaningful contribution

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to an outcome that will give
the Palestinians the right

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to live freely in a country
of their own,

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while making the peace
process a reality.

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The Secretary General and I
exchanged views

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on the broader situation,
not just the front in Ukraine,

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where we don't have good news yet,
but we believe,

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much like President Zelensky,
that the peace in Gaza

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could have a positive impact
on finding a solution

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that would bring about a ceasefire
and then peace to Ukraine.

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We'll need to invest more effort
to find a solution

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that would end the killings
in Ukraine.

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Before that happens,
our obligation

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is to help protect
the Ukrainian people.

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What we've seen over the past
days, weeks, and months,

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namely constant air attacks on
civilian and energy infrastructure,

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doesn't have much to do
with the military effort,

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but only about exhausting
the civilian population.

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That's why Slovenia has decided
to join the PURL initiative

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to protect the civilian population
and infrastructure,

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which is especially vital
with the coming of winter.

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We also exchanged our views

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on the situation
in the Western Balkans.

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We agreed that we must
do everything

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to stabilize the region,
and that we can't allow passions

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to get inflamed. The situation
is calm for now,

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but NATO needs to maintain
its presence.

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Slovenia is doing
that within NATO

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with one clear goal:
peace and stability in the region

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and long-term prospects
for NATO and EU membership

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of all countries in the region.

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I was happy about our discussion
of Slovenia's progress

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in NATO, our defense spending,

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and how we conceived
or slow-but-steady

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increases in defense, security,
and resilience spending.

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We made it clear
that each member country

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has its own role. As a country on
a geographic crossroads,

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Slovenia plays a significant
logistical role.

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We've analyzed it carefully
with NATO structures,

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and we'll strengthen
it in the future.

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I believe the approach we've chosen
is the right one

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I strongly feel that arms
are just one element

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of security and that people
are much more important.

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People tend to be most
favorably disposed to defense

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when we know we're
stronger as a society.

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That involves a Slovenian
specialty: resilience building

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through civil defense
in both peacetime

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and in times of war. We're counting
on that in the future.

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Slovenia has very good experience
with a military tradition

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that involves the entire population,
so the development

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of our defense forces and
resilience follows that approach.

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Mark, we're happy
you've joined us today.

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We believe we'll accomplish
a lot together

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and bring peace to Ukraine as well,

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so we'll once again live
without worries

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and in times when peace
won't be a dilemma

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but something
we'll take for granted.

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Dear Robert, Prime Minister.

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I'll add a few words on Gaza.

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It's a truly important day
for peace and stability.

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President Trump arrived
in Israel to mark the ceasefire

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between Israel and Hamas
and the hostage release

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this morning. This is great news.

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We all want to see peace
and stability in the Middle East.

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We also hope that this will help us
in Europe, as you said, Robert,

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so when can have peace
where we've seen

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Russia's aggression
on Ukraine.

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I hope we'll be able
to build on that.

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It's a pleasure to be here
in Ljubljana,

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and I'd like to thank you
for hosting

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the 71th Annual Session of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly.

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You spoke there;
I also had the honor

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of addressing the assembly.

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It brings together
some 300 parliamentarians

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from all NATO members.
They've been here

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in Ljubljana since Friday.

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For more than 20 years,
Slovenia has been

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a very dependable
partner and ally.

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You're fully committed
to common defense

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and our missions in Kosovo
and Iraq.

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Your soldiers are also
in Slovakia and Latvia.

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Just as Slovenia
is supporting NATO,

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NATO is supporting Slovenia.

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Aircraft from Hungary and Italy
are keeping watch

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over your airspace.

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NATO also helped the Slovenian
people after the 2023 floods.

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I'm glad that you have been
supporting Ukraine for a while.

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I'm glad about the other
related initiatives you mentioned.

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Slovenia is also taking part
in ammunition-related initiatives,

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while ensuring humanitarian aid
to Ukrainian refugees.

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Russia is continuing
its cruel aggression on Ukraine.

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We're talking about relentless
attacks on infrastructure,

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the systematic targeting
of critical infrastructure,

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civilians, and industry.

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We're also seeing cyber
and hybrid warfare,

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and we've seen just how
dangerous Russia's behavior is

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in the airspace of countries
such as Poland and Estonia.

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All this is a threat to our security
and represents an escalation.

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That's why we need to take a firm,
clear stance against all this,

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while ensuring appropriate
defense capabilities.

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We're strong only if we're united.
We must work together

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to defend our population
of one billion.

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At the Hague summit,
we decided to invest more

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in the defense industry
and continue to support Ukraine.

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This means that we need
to increase industrial production

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and strengthen our capabilities
to make people secure.

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Our defense forces need
whatever it takes

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to withstand any threat and have
the strongest possible defense.

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I'm happy to see Slovenia's
commitment to this cause.

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At the Hague, we also talked
about our support for Ukraine.

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Today, we talked about Ukraine's
security and fully agreed

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that it's vital
for our common security.

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These aren't just values, and
countries don't just occupy others

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in the 21st century, but it's also
about common defense and security.

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You mentioned
the PURL Initiative,

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which is vital for Ukraine's needs,

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so the country can get
what it lacks.

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We're talking about both
lethal and non-lethal support.

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We've set aside $2 billion
for this,

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and the materiel is already
being transferred from the U.S.

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to Ukraine. This way,
we'd like to support Ukraine

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in its fight against Russia
and deter

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any Russian aggression
in the future.

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We'd like to see a lasting peace

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because Russia remains
a destabilizing factor

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in Europe and the world.
We must all make an effort

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to invest more and spend more
on the defense industry

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and thus ensure our security.
Thank you again, Robert,

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for your leadership,
for Slovenia's truly important

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contribution to the alliance,
and for hosting me

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and the Parliamentary Assembly.
I feel I'm among friends here.

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I'm going to meet
with the Slovenian President

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and the President of the National
Assembly,

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but thanks again for the warm
welcome. -Time for questions.

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Please introduce yourself
and ask your question.

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Robert Petrovič, STA.

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My first question
is for the Prime Minister

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and is about the PURL Initiative.

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To what extent will Slovenia
take part in PURL

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and how much funding
is it prepared to set aside for it?

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And what kind of arms are we
talking about? My second question

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is for Mr. Rutte. What is your view
of the planned increase

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of defense spending in Slovenia?
How does that fit in with NATO's

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guidelines and what does Slovenia
still need to do in this respect?

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Regarding the initiative:
I can't reveal the amount

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because it's classified
and I don't have the authorization

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right now, but it's inside
the Defense Ministry's budget

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for 2025, so it's not an additional
expense. That's important.

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The initiative is solely
about defense capabilities

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in the form of anti-aircraft
defense, surface-to-air systems,

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primarily to protect energy
and civilian infrastructure.

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For quite some time,
Slovenia has been sending

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equipment intended
exclusively for defense,

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and that's also the case
with this shipment.

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As for your second question,
I'd like to congratulate

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and thank both the Prime Minister
and Slovenia

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for coming up with
a suitable approach

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to our common goal.

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You're making good
on your commitments

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from the Hague,
and I'd like to thank you again

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for your leadership here.
Let's stay the course together.

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The press conference is over.