WEBVTT

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Gorenjska is unique
in many ways,

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and today I began
my visit with a topic

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that we have all but forgotten.

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This isn't the case in Železniki
and the Selška Valley.

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I'm referring to the catastrophic
floods of 2007, almost 20 years ago.

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The reconstruction
of the Selška Valley

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was completed last year.

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In the lower part, in the town
of Železniki itself and the bypass.

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Today, I witnessed
the completion of work

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on the so-called
dry retention basins,

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which is the point
that actually permanently regulates

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the resilience of the entire Selška
Valley. What does resilience mean?

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It means safety
from future disasters,

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safety so that the Selška Valley

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can sleep peacefully
even if the floods of 2007 recur.

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This is the biggest difference and
change that we must never neglect.

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It's one thing to deal
with the consequences of disasters.

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We have excellent civil protection,
firefighters, rescue personnel,

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but it's one thing to deal
with the consequences

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and another to build
new infrastructure

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that is permanently
resistant to such disasters.

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Today, I was delighted to attend
the completion of this project,

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which means that
the Selška Valley is now safe.

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Later, I visited
the care home in Radovljica.

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I must say that I was
extremely pleasantly ...

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I was honoured
by the welcome I received,

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but above all by how well organized
the care home in Radovljica is,

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how excellent the atmosphere is
among the staff and residents,

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and how much they're
looking forward to the future,

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both in terms
of the home's operations

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and in terms of how
well cared for they are.

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Bills are lower, as predicted,

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which is another thing that
naturally put them in a good mood.

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Lunch with businesspeople
from Gorenjska

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went according to expectations.

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Right from the start, we agreed
that we would speak honestly,

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openly, without mincing words,
and that's how the conversation went.

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I believe that the conversation
was very constructive. Why?

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Because, on the one hand, we touched
on the current pressing situation,

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especially, as I understand it,
the minimum wage

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and all the consequences
that this entails.

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But more than two-thirds, maybe
three-quarters of the conversation

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was focused on the question:
What can we do together?

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How can the state help
to make the economy,

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Gorenjska is particularly
export-oriented,

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globally competitive?

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If we export 90%
of our production,

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what we're doing at home
does us no good,

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if we're not successful abroad.
Gorenjska has proven itself,

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businesspeople
have proven themselves.

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It's our task and duty
to listen to them

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so that they can continue to
prove themselves.

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We've opened up quite
a few topics today in a way

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that allows us
to see solutions.

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Some progress has been made,
but the work is not yet complete.

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We will continue at the same pace
in the coming months and years,

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with the sole aim of establishing
a supportive environment in Slovenia

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that will enable
economic development

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to outpace that
of the rest of the world.

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I'm referring to
technological development,

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how to invest even more
in digitization, robotization,

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and AI on the one hand,
and on the other hand,

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helping the economy
to face foreign competition

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with as little
administrative burden as possible

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and as much predictability
as possible in the area of taxation.

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We talked about
high energy prices.

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We'll definitely have to take
a few more steps in this area.

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We also talked about the tax burden
on the most productive workers.

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I drew their attention to the act
that will be in Parliament tomorrow.

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The Employee Participation
in Profit Sharing Act.

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I believe that in the coming weeks,
when the act is passed,

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we'll all be pleased to see
that, on the basis of this act,

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we'll be able to pay
even the best-paid engineers,

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developers, and salespeople

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comparably
to what they are paid abroad.

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That's also
the main purpose of this act.

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I'm available
to answer questions. Thank you.

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Prime Minister,
perhaps we could start

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with Slovenia's decline
in the corruption perception index.

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How would you comment on that?
What do you attribute it to?

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First, let me say that Slovenia
has made significant progress

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during this term of office.

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Even after the decline,
we're still higher

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than we were in 2023 or 2022.

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We can say with satisfaction
that yes, we have challenges,

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but in the long term, things
are moving in the right direction.

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However,
more work will be needed.

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After all, the fight against
corruption is a daily struggle.

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I think
there must be no respite.

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Perhaps we were lulled
into complacency

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by the excellent results
achieved in 2024,

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when we made
a significant leap forward,

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and that's why we experienced
this minor slip in 2025.

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We shall see. I am convinced that
in 2026 the situation will be better.

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Why? Mainly because
I can see that in the area

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where this has been
most evident in the past,

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namely healthcare,

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the fight against corruption
is really successful.

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I'm sure this will be
more evident on the charts, too.

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Barbara Pirh, Planet TV.

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Something about economy. Yesterday,
the Chamber of Commerce warned

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of critical conditions
in economy.

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We've all read an article
of Joc Pečečnik

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how this government has done
the most of all for the economy.

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How do you understand this? A concern
and praise at the same time?

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The truth is always
somewhere in between.

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Between the excessive praise
and excessive critique.

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We had lunch with the representatives
of the Chamber of Commerce

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and the representatives
of the Slovenian Business Club.

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As I've said,

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we clearly addressed
the actual challenges.

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Some of them have bigger
and other smaller consequences.

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We agreed that the minimal wage
is disrupting the ratios the most.

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Mainly to other wages,
not only in economy,

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in public sector as well.

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This is the most destructive
element at the moment.

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Afterwards we focused
on the future.

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And the praise
from the Slovenian Business Club

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was repeated today.

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The law on employee participation
in the profits is opening

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an important field of remuneration,
which is fiscally attractive.

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Fiscally attractive payments

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for the best paid workers
in companies.

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This way,
we can motivate these employees,

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but mainly we will be competitive
with foreign countries.

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Namely, we aren't until this point.
This will be the first step.

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With the other topics
we turned away from taxes

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and away from wages.

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We talked mainly
about the technological development

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and competitiveness
in the field of energy prices.

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Thank you. Nova24.

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Hello, this is Janez Hočevar.
Dr Golob, we've heard

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that the General hospital in Jesenice
will get angiograph this year.

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How do you evaluate a success
of the healthcare reform

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of your government.
According to data of NIPH

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the waiting list in healthcare
institutions has risen for 35%

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or 451,000 from the year 2022.
Thank you.

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The healthcare reform
has more objectives.

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One of them is to stop

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the harmful
intertwining of private and public.

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In some ways, it promoted
bad practices in the public system.

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This part has ended.

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The responses we've got
from the public system

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and mainly from the medical staff
are very positive.

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The second objective
of the reform

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is to give high-quality
treatment to the patients.

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With this we mean a lot of things,
among other buildings.

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A record-breaking investment cycle
is under way.

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If we want high quality
in the hospital,

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rooms have to have
a modern equipment.

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You've mentioned an angiograph
for a hospital in Jesenice.

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In the last two years,
we've given so much money as ...

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I don't remember, when. Actually,
medical staff doesn't remember it.

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Because we want to give
the patients high-quality treatment.

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The third objective is to ensure
the treatment when one needs it.

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Every patient thinks

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it is the hardest to enter the
system. Then, you are taken care of.

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It is true. There are
various reasons for waiting lines.

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I want go into higher
patient numbers after the pandemic.

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We had 30% more treatments

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in 2025 compared
to previous years,

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in 2019, 2020 and so on,
before the pandemic.

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Productivity is much higher,
but we are an aging society

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and the needs
have been increasing.

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We will have to react
accordingly to the situation.

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Some waiting lines have shortened,
namely the most critical ones

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where lives are
the most endangered.

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Waiting lines have shortened
for cardiologic check-ups

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and we want to keep shortening
critical waiting lines

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in the future as well.
It won't be easy.

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We don't promise results overnight,
the work hasn't finished yet,

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but I am sure
that until 2030,

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we won't have
unacceptable waiting lines any more.

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No one can say they have
a magic wand. Don't believe that,

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but we can get there
in the next four, five years.

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And the last question.

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NATO representatives
are in Slovenia today.

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How do you
comment on criticism

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that Slovenia
isn't fulfilling its obligations

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and is a burden for NATO?
We could hear that in media.

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I don't even know they are here,
so I can't comment on that,

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but I'm not worried.

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Thank you. -Is Slovenia
fulfilling its obligations?

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We think so.
Everyone can have their opinion,

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but I'm not worried.
Slovenia understands safety

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as not only buying weapons,

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but building
a resilient society.

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I presented this concept
at the NATO summit.

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Everyone was there,
including the US president,

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and no one had
anything against it.

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We will insist on our way that
safety depends on a lot of things

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and not just on weapons.
They come after everything else.

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Thank you.
-Thank you.