Second day of visit to Prague marked by bilateral meetings with Czech and Finnish Presidents

The meeting between President Pirc Musar and President Pavel took place in a constructive and friendly atmosphere. The Presidents highlighted the good relations between Czechia and Slovenia and expressed their commitment to further strengthen political and economic cooperation between the two countries. A substantial part of the talks was dedicated to current international challenges, particularly security issues. The two Presidents agreed that modern security challenges, such as cyber threats, energy security and migrations, require coordinated and decisive action at the European and international levels. They expressed their willingness to participate in addressing these issues within the EU and NATO and emphasised the importance of dialogue in resolving global conflicts.

The Presidents devoted special attention to the situation in Ukraine. They re-affirmed their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and condemned the Russian aggression. President Pirc Musar expressed her strong support for a just and lasting peace based on the United Nations Charter and international law. The Presidents also talked about the humanitarian aspect of the war, and President Pirc Musar gave an assurance that Slovenia would continue to help Ukraine as best as it can.

President Pirc Musar and President Pavel concluded their meeting with a promise to continue to work towards deepening relations between the two countries and jointly contributing to a stable and secure Europe.

President Pirc Musar also met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Slovenia and Finland have good and friendly relations, they often share similar views and they successfully cooperate within the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and other international organisations. President Pirc Musar highlighted the importance of regular political dialogue at the highest level, and invited President Stubb to visit Slovenia. His visit would give a new impetus to relations between the two countries and further strengthen their cooperation. Cooperation in various areas of common interest was one of the main topics of the two Presidents' discussion.

President Pirc Musar and President Stubb committed to continued cooperation in the international context, emphasising how important it is to exchange experience and knowledge and to strengthen mutual support. President Pirc Musar expressed her support for and congratulated Finland on its recent accession to NATO. Both leaders agreed that Finland's membership of NATO constitutes an important step towards strengthening security and stability in the region and in the wider European context. They advocated continued support for Ukraine and supported the efforts for achieving a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible.

Both Presidents also share the same views on issues such as human rights, gender equality and climate change.

President Pirc Musar concluded her participation in the GLOBSEC Forum with a GLOBSEC Chat with BBC news presenter Kasia Madera. They discussed Slovenia's experience with membership of the UN Security Council. The President said that Slovenia is aware of its responsibility as a current member of the Security Council to act in the interests of the entire international community. Despite the challenges faced by its representatives in the Security Council, Slovenia firmly maintains this position. President Pirc Musar particularly stressed the need for urgent Security Council reform. She believes that within these debates, we must also tackle difficult questions, such as the right to veto. An effective functioning of the Security Council and the resolution of open conflicts in the world are in our common interest.

President Pirc Musar said that future Security Council reforms should consider that a country should not be allowed to use a veto in Security Council voting on cases in which it is the subject of discussion.