By: C. R., STA
Slovenia will continue to offer aid to Ukraine according to its capabilities and as long as it is necessary, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon emphasised today at the session of the parliamentary committee for foreign policy. As she said, we must not forget other humanitarian crises around the world, such as the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
In response to a parliamentary question, the minister also said that Slovenia supports all resolutions of both the European Union and the United Nations, which condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine and call for peace and negotiations between the warring parties. According to her, in 2023, Slovenia will prioritise providing humanitarian aid and aid in the form of reconstruction and rehabilitation to Ukraine.
Regarding the arrest of Russian agents in Ljubljana, when asked why they still have not called the Russian ambassador to Slovenia for a conversation, Fajon replied that the investigation into their possible actions against the national interests of Slovenia is ongoing and that the ministry is in regular contact with all competent institutions.
The Russian ambassador has not yet been called for a conversation because that would mean direct interference in the investigation at the moment, she explained. “Here we have a common position with both the Prime Minister and the competent services. If necessary, we will act differently,” she added.
The call of the youth organisation of Austrian liberals to stop the “Slovenisation” of Austrian Carinthia was described by the foreign minister as a repulsive and unacceptable act. She expressed her satisfaction with the reaction of the Austrian political elite, which condemned the youth organisation’s behaviour and distanced itself from it. According to her, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did everything that was expected of it in this case.
As she said, she hopes that similar incidents will not occur in the future. “The fact is that this campaign in Austrian Carinthia is very active, and perhaps our every reaction in this context will not contribute to calming down these incidents,” she assessed.
Regarding the inclusion of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist organisations by the EU, the minister said that opinions on this are divided in Brussels and that a legal opinion on this matter is currently awaited. She assured that at that time she would also make a clear statement about this issue.
At the same time, she emphasised that both Slovenian diplomacy and the political elite were very active in responding to the violent suppression of protests in Iran. Slovenia supports the introduction of restrictive measures due to violence against protesters and has also actively participated in the initiative to establish a fact-finding mission in the Islamic Republic, she assured.
