Cassis receives Slovenian foreign minister

On 21 February, the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis received his Slovenian counterpart, Tanja Fajon. According to a press release, Cassis reaffirmed Switzerland’s solidarity with Ukraine and its European partners, as well as its efforts to assist the Ukrainian population.

Cassis also gave the Slovenian deputy prime minister an update on the status of exploratory talks with the EU. These are to determine whether there is a sufficiently solid basis for negotiation.

Slovenia is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2024 to 2025. Since Switzerland will be a member of this core body until the end of 2024, the two parties explored the potential for cooperation and exchanges of experience.

During the official visit, Cassis and Fajon emphasized the strong relations that unite their countries in the economic, scientific and environmental sectors. Switzerland became Slovenia’s most important economic partner in 2022, with trade reportedly amounting to over 18 billion Swiss francs last year. The two countries are currently negotiating an agreement for the implementation of the second Swiss contribution, enabling renewable energy projects in the Slovenian Alps, among other projects. mm