State Secretary Marko Štucin attended an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and held several talks with representatives of the Netherlands and international organisations in The Hague, the “international city of peace”.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met ICC President Piotr Hofmański, Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler, and Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang, assuring Slovenia’s continued support for the Court and international efforts to prosecute the perpetrators of the gravest of crimes. He informed them of the recently adopted Ljubljana-Hague Convention (MLA Diplomatic Conference in Ljubljana, 26 May 2023), which will support these efforts significantly.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute, State Secretary Štucin called for continued strengthening of the ICC as the main institution of international criminal law. He assured that the protection and respect of international law will be among Slovenia’s guiding principles during its membership of the UN Security Council in the next two years.

EU affairs adviser to the Dutch Prime Minister Saïd Fazili and State Secretary Štucin exchanged views on topical issues concerning Europe. The State Secretary focused on questions relating to EU enlargement with Western Balkan countries, stressing that the Western Balkans must remain a geostrategic priority for the EU and calling for a fair continuation of the enlargement process in the region. They went on to discuss options to optimise decision-making on the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, the rule of law, economic governance, and the mid-term Multiannual Financial Framework revision. In addition, State Secretary Štucin underlined the importance of a fully functioning Schengen system and of abolishing internal border checks.

State Secretary Štucin also addressed migration issues in a meeting with Deputy Executive Director of European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) Jürgen Ebner.

During his visit to the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (EUROJUST), the State Secretary talked to Vice-President Boštjan Škrlec and Liaison Prosecutor for Ukraine Myroslava Krasnoborova about efforts to ensure accountability for crimes in Ukraine and plans for the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, which started its operations last week.

State Secretary Štucin also visited the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where he met Registrar Philipp Gautier to discuss challenges facing the Court and to present Slovenia’s activity in support of international law.