State Secretary Dovžan holds talks with US Deputy Assistant Secretary Montgomery
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The high officials welcomed the progress made in bilateral relations. Slovenia and the US officially launched the strategic dialogue in December 2020 in Washington, which comprehensively reinforces their friendly, strategic and allied relations. Numerous ties and cooperation between the countries and peoples will certainly continue and strengthen, not least in light of the upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Like the rest of the world, the transatlantic community is faced with a number of challenges, which is why close cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic will be imperative to address them.
The greater part of the talks was aimed at giving an overview of the priorities of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency. State Secretary Dovžan presented four top priorities: strengthening the EU's resilience (resilience to pandemics and other crises); strengthening the economic rehabilitation of the Union, which will be founded on digital and green transition; strengthening the Union based on the rule of law while preserving the European way of life; and a safe Union, which will be a reliable and decent partner in the neighborhood and around the world.
Strengthening the transatlantic relations will also be among the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency. The European Union and the United States of America are natural and strong allies with a historical relationship, sharing similar values and interests. The Ministers of the European Union have already exchanged views with the American State Secretary and both sides are in firm agreement that the alliance and partnership must be consolidated without delay while preserving the international arrangements based on order and the rule of law.