Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is to visit Ljubljana next Tuesday for talks with his Slovenian counterpart Janez Janša, the prime minister’s office confirmed for the STA on Wednesday. The talks are expected to focus on topical EU issues, as well as bilateral cooperation in the light of Covid-19 and illegal migrations.
The Austrian press agency APA reported that Kurz will travel to Ljubljana to coordinate with Janša ahead of the EU summit scheduled for 24 and 25 September. This will be Kurz’s first bilateral meeting abroad since late February.
The chancellor and the prime minister are also expected to talk about Slovenia’s presidency of the EU council coming up in the second half of 2021.
Moreover, Slovenian and Austrian officials will also discuss the Slovenian minority in Austria and the German-speaking community in Slovenia.
Kurz and Janša are also likely to discuss the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Carinthia plebiscite that drew the modern-day border between the countries. The anniversary ceremony planned for 10 October is to be attended by Slovenia and Austrian presidents.
Relations between Austria and Slovenia are considered excellent, with Austria being Slovenia’s third economic partner and the biggest investor in Slovenia.
Last year, trade between the two countries amounted to EUR 5.7 billion, according to data from Slovenia’s Statistics Office. Slovenia exported EUR 2.3 billion worth of goods and services and imported EUR 3.4 billion worth.