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On International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Slovenia reaffirms its steadfast support for the Palestinian people, who have endured immeasurable suffering for decades through the loss of loved ones and homes, forced displacement, and the denial of fundamental rights, including the right to self-determination and independence.

Prime Minister Robert Golob met with Nasser Abu Baker, the President of the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate, to discuss the situation in Palestine, with a focus on the war in Gaza.

The meeting between Prime Minister Robert Golob and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, focused mainly on presenting the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

Minister Tanja Fajon hosted the Palestinian Authority's State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin during her first official visit since Slovenia recognised Palestine. The two ministers used this opportunity to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of relations between the two countries, which enables the establishment of a formal framework for a systematic dialogue and regular political and practical cooperation.

At the initiative of Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Government today approved a decision to provide additional humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population. The security and humanitarian situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly untenable and continues to deteriorate rapidly.

We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.

On this day, Slovenia, by recognising Palestine as an independent and sovereign state, sent a clear signal about the need to reinstate peace in the Middle East and implement the two-state solution, in the hope that other countries would follow suit. A responsible member of the EU and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Slovenia strives for immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in the region.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, has consistently and resolutely advocated for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, immediate access to humanitarian aid, and the establishment of a lasting solution to the conflict in the form of two states – Israel and Palestine.

Slovenia welcomes the decision by Arab countries to adopt a comprehensive plan for Gaza’s reconstruction at the extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo on 4th March 2025. This important step demonstrates a strong and unified Arab commitment, with genuine Arab ownership of the process and a clear focus on safeguarding the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, to their land, and ultimately to statehood.

Slovenia is gravely concerned about the decision to completely block humanitarian aid access to Gaza. This could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, severely affecting the civilian population already suffering from the conflict. Such actions are in clear violation of international law, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights law.

The Republic of Slovenia sees the proposals on the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, coupled with the unilateral "redevelopment" of the territory, as unacceptable. Such proposals constitute a flagrant violation of international law.

On the second day of her visit to Jordan, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon was granted an audience with His Majesty King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan. She also met with the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jordan, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation, and representatives of UN agencies in Amman, and visited a refugee camp.

At the Cairo Ministerial Conference, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon discussed the prospects for lasting solutions for Gaza and the Middle East as a whole with participants from more than 90 countries and international organisations.

In November, as the presidency of the UN Security Council was held by the United Kingdom, Slovenia co-sponsored two briefings, one on the denuclearisation of North Korea and the other on imminent famine in Gaza. State Secretary Marko Štucin participated in a high-level meeting on the situation in Gaza and Ukraine, where he called for the Security Council to take more decisive action on the conflicts..

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič attended the 10th MED Mediterranean Dialogues Conference in Rome. The conference is one of the main platforms for high-level dialogue on topical issues in the Mediterranean, the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and beyond.

Yesterday, State Secretary Marko Štucin attended high-level meetings on the situation in Gaza and Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council. On behalf of Slovenia, he called for more decisive action by the Security Council and respect for international and human rights law.

Minister Tanja Fajon attended the regular meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, chaired for the last time by High Representative Josep Borrell. Ministers discussed the war in Ukraine, Georgia, EU-US relations, the situation in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Minister Fajon also briefed ministers on her recent visit to Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has decided to provide material aid in the form of food and sanitation items to the Palestinian civilian population affected by the war in Gaza, via Jordan.

In October, under the Swiss presidency of the UN Security Council, discussions were focused on Africa, the Middle East, Ukraine and Haiti. Two briefings were convened at Slovenia's request, one together with Algeria on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and another with the US on Ukraine. State Secretary Melita Gabrič took part in the open debate on women, peace and security.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs expresses profound concern over the recent adoption of a law by the Israeli Knesset that severs the Israeli authorities' engagement with the UNRWA and hinders the Agency’s activities across the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.