"We have two important items on our own agenda that I think we, as a small but open and democratic country, can represent at the global level. These are security and solidarity," the Slovenian Prime Minister said in his traditional address to the Diplomatic Corps. He highlighted Slovenia's commitment to the respect of human rights, the rule of law and solidarity. This will also guide Slovenia in its candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Slovenia will also focus all its efforts on strengthening unity within the EU: "We will look for solutions that increase the unity of the EU, and I call this a core Europe." One of Slovenia's foreign policy priorities is to stabilise the situation in the Western Balkans through its approximation to the EU. It is hoped that Bosnia and Herzegovina will make great steps on the road to the EU, with Slovenia providing the necessary political and technical support.

This week, EU agriculture ministers endorsed Slovenia's initiative to make the origin labelling of honey blends more transparent. This is a very important step towards protecting the consumer, so that they can know which countries the honey comes from and can make a purchasing decision on that basis.