Prime Minister Golob: "Europe must respond with more cohesion and openness"

The slogan of the summit was "New Europe in a new world: unity – cooperation – joint action". At the plenary session, the leaders discussed security and a shared vision for the future of Europe. The plenary was followed by three high-level roundtables on the topics of Europe’s security and democratic resilience, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, mobility challenges and youth empowerment, and competitiveness and economic security. Prime Minister Golob, representing the European Union, and Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović co-chaired the roundtable on competitiveness and economic security entitled "One Europe for 600 million citizens: boosting European competitiveness and security through innovation and resilience".

After the summit, Prime Minister Golob said that several important topics were on the agenda. "We discussed competitiveness and jointly concluded that Europe must respond appropriately with more cohesion and openness. In this way it will be able to achieve its main objective – to remain a continent of social welfare and a competitive economy, two goals that are fundamentally interconnected," said the Prime Minister.

In the margins of the European Political Community Summit, Prime Minister Golob attended a meeting of like-minded European leaders on the situation in the Middle East focusing on Gaza. He joined the firm call by the leaders of Spain, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta not to remain silent in the face of the man-made humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes in Gaza.

In their statement, the leaders wrote: "We call upon the government of Israel to immediately reverse its current policy, refrain from further military operations and fully lift the blockade, ensuring safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout the Gaza strip by international humanitarian actors and according to humanitarian principles. United Nations and humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA, must be supported and granted safe and unimpeded access." They also called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, and for a just and comprehensive peace, based on the implementation of the two-state solution. Only peace can bring security for Palestinians, Israelis and the region, and only respect for international law can secure lasting peace.

"Together with like-minded state leaders, I signed a joint statement in which we call on the Israeli Government to immediately cease attacks on the civilian population, lift the blockade on humanitarian aid and allow the United Nations to fulfil its mission. We hope that as many countries as possible will join our statement," said Prime Minister Golob. He added that the ceasefire agreement concluded a few months ago gave hope that all hostages would be freed, that the attacks on civilians would end and that humanitarian aid could finally flow freely into Gaza. "Unfortunately, we are witnessing that, due to the actions of the Israeli government, nothing remains of this agreement or the great hope it once represented. This must change," added the Prime Minister.

Slovenia advocates for peace, respect for human rights and the consistent application of international law. It remains committed to these values in its stance on Palestine and the situation in Gaza. Slovenia's positions and political initiatives are always based on coordination with like-minded countries that strive for joint and well-thought-out responses. Credible and sustainable solutions can only be achieved through cooperation and joint action.