Minister Logar visited Paris at the invitation of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian immediately before Slovenia assumes the EU Council Presidency. During the talks, Minister Logar briefed his French counterpart on Slovenia's priorities and the EU Council Presidency programme. Slovenia and France share common areas of interest, especially regarding the European Union's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the building of strategic sovereignty and the resilience of the Union. The two countries are intensifying efforts to build greater autonomy in the fields of health and cybersecurity as part of the Union's broader strategic sovereignty.

The common thread of both presidencies will be the Conference on the Future of Europe, which takes place on several levels and will serve as a response to the fundamental questions and dilemmas of the EU citizens. Therefore, the citizens should be actively involved in the debate on a common future. Minister Logar underlined the importance of seizing the opportunity provided by the Conference for an honest and open discussion, as everyone should have a chance to be heard.

The Foreign Ministers also agreed on the importance of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum for the further development of the EU. Both countries share very similar views on migration and will therefore work very closely together.

Climate issues related to the green transition are also an important area of cooperation between the two countries. Slovenia will strive to achieve the EU's climate goals by 2030 and 2050. Increasing the Union's common goal means that the responsibility for starting and leading demanding negotiations to find a compromise on determining a new burden sharing between Member States and economic sectors will fall on the Slovenian Presidency.

The Ministers exchanged views on the situation in the Western Balkans, which will be one of the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency. Minister Logar said that the region needs the Union's active engagement, which is vital to give impetus to the stalled enlargement process. The stability of the region at the heart of Europe is in the EU’s strategic interest. The Ministers also exchanged views on other international topics, namely the Eastern Partnership, Turkey, the Eastern Mediterranean, the situation in Belarus, and the European Union's relations with Russia. The talks also focused on the situation in the Sahel and the peacekeeping mission in Mali. France will take over the EU Council Presidency in the first half of next year.

France is one of Slovenia's most important trade and investment partners. Most of the trade is tied to the automotive industry and high value-added products.