At informal FAC meeting, Minister Fajon expresses solidarity and gratitude to Gulf states

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates' Minister of State and the GCC Secretary General, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

In her address, Minister Fajon unequivocally condemned the attacks on the GCC states and expressed Slovenia’s solidarity with them. She also voiced her deep concern about the escalating instability in the region, which undermines maritime security, freedom of navigation, energy security and international trade. Emphasising the importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, she urged all parties to respect international law. "We condemn Iran's retaliatory measures in the region in the strongest terms, particularly the unjustified and indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets. Slovenia has friends in the Gulf; these friendships have been forged through our principled foreign policy over the past four years. Our friends are now facing Iranian missiles, and we express our solidarity with them in these difficult times," she said.

According to Minister Fajon, the risk of a wider regional conflict is greater than ever before: "We must do all we possibly can to prevent further escalation, which would serve the interests of neither the region nor the EU. Diplomacy and a return to the negotiating table remain the only viable path to lasting security."

She stressed that efforts should be made to secure a ceasefire and, at the very least, a 48-hour humanitarian “pause”, which would enable foreign nationals, including EU citizens, to safely leave the Gulf states and allow key air corridors to reopen. This would also facilitate coordinated consular assistance and evacuation in cooperation with the Gulf states.

Emphasising the importance of acting together at this critical juncture within the framework of the EU-GCC Strategic Partnership, she noted that the countries present at the meeting should continue to issue joint calls for immediate de-escalation, maximum restraint and full respect for international law, including the principles of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.

Minister Fajon also expressed solidarity with Spain in light of US threats to sever trade relations, and with Cyprus regarding recent incidents on its territory. Given the current escalation in the region, she cautioned that close attention must be paid to developments in Gaza and the West Bank.