President Pahor at the Central European Summit in Bratislava

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, is attending the 18^th Central European Summit, hosted by the President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gašparovič. The summit is entitled ‘A Growth Strategy for Post-Crisis Recovery’.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, attended a working breakfast with the presidents of EU Member States and the President of the Republic of Croatia.

In his speech at the meeting, the President first called for solidarity and the repair of the damage caused by the recent floods. During the discussions, he stressed the importance of further integrating the European Union, which also includes the expansion of the Union to the countries of the Western Balkans. He proposed considering the future architecture of Europe, because the crisis has shown that the Treaty of Lisbon does not provide enough mechanisms for efficient action to counter the global financial and economic crisis. President Pahor believes that in the period following the elections to the European Parliament in 2014, a new convention will be necessary to form the basis for deciding whether we are ready for a more integrated Europe or a looser form of integration. “In the meantime, it is necessary to implement current agreements and do as much as possible to increase competitiveness and boost the economy,” said President Pahor, adding that special attention has to be paid to the youth unemployment.


Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA

After the plenary session of the Summit, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, met the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nebojša Radmanović, with whom he discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the measures necessary to strengthen the structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would enable successful negotiations for accession to the European Union. President Pahor invited the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the Brdo Process. The latter happily accepted the initiation and invited the President of the Republic of Slovenia to pay an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to the 18^th Central European Summit, President Pahor held several brief discussions with other presidents, i.e. Austrian President Heinz Fischer, who confirmed his forthcoming visit to Slovenia. The President also spoke to the President of Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanov, about his official visit to Skopje. The Slovenian President also met Tomislav Nikolić, the President of Serbia, Nicolae Timofti, the President of Moldova, and Rosen Plevneliev, the President of Bulgaria.