Slovenian President visits Ukraine: strengthening bilateral relations and support in difficult times

President Pirc Musar was received today by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She also met with Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk. The President also visited the Centre for the Protection of Children's Rights in Kyiv, which provides psychosocial rehabilitation for Ukrainian children returned from Russia. In the town of Bucha, she paid tribute to the memory of those killed in the horrific massacre of civilians by lighting a candle and visiting the site of a former mass grave. "My visit reaffirms Slovenia’s unwavering support for Ukraine, as previously demonstrated by visits from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence," added the President.

She thanked Ukraine for the assistance during the devastating floods in Slovenia last August: "Solidarity is a two-way street, and we are immensely grateful that Ukraine sent its units to help despite the war."

The President stressed that Slovenia continued to support Ukraine’s complete independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We strongly condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and expect Russia to immediately start abiding by the international values and norms that it has undertaken to respect," she said. She added that Slovenia would continue to provide humanitarian, material and military assistance and support for the rebuilding and reconstruction of Ukraine.

"Our support for and solidarity with Ukraine remain unwavering. We have provided assistance since the first day of the aggression and we will continue to do so to the best of our abilities for as long as necessary," said the President. "This includes help with demining, rehabilitating war victims and providing psychosocial support for children and their families."

In the first half of June, the Slovenian Government adopted a decision to allocate five million euros in 2024 for continued humanitarian aid, assistance with the reconstruction of Ukraine and the mitigation of consequences of the war in Ukraine for world food security. A further 1.2 million euros will be allocated in 2024 from the regular funding of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for development and humanitarian assistance to cover ongoing, multi-year projects focusing on health and psychosocial rehabilitation, demining, the training of Ukraine municipality representatives and public servants and orphanage reconstruction.

In the presence of the President of the Republic, the Slovenian ambassador to Ukraine, Mateja Prevolšek, on behalf of Slovenia, and the Ukrainian Minister of Social Affairs signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of Ukraine on cooperation in the field of comprehensive support for Ukrainian citizens temporarily relocated to the Republic of Slovenia.

President Pirc Musar welcomed the Ukrainian people’s courage and determination in defending their homeland and common democratic values. "We support the efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace," she said, adding that Slovenia as a member of the UN Security Council strives for the same goals as Ukraine. "We are involved in seven out of ten working groups as part of the Peace Formula and will continue to support its activities and efforts to muster as wide an international support as possible."

The President also assured Ukrainian representatives that Slovenia would continue to strengthen bilateral relations with Ukraine and support its path towards European integration. "Slovenia is a strong supporter of the speedy adoption of the negotiation framework for Ukraine. We are satisfied with the results of the first Intergovernmental Conference and congratulate Ukraine on the historic milestone on its EU path, which is a recognition of its dedication and hard work, despite immense challenges and pressures," she concluded.