Kukan and Rupel Praise Good Bilateral Relations

Ljubljana, 21 January

Slovene-Slovak relations are excellent and amicable, the foreign ministers of Slovenia and Slovakia, Dimitrij Rupel and Eduard Kukan, said when they met the press after their meeting in Ljubljana on Friday.

Slovenia and Slovakia have solid cooperation in all areas, and there is potential to deepen it especially in trade, said Kukan as he concluded a two-day official visit to Slovenia.
Estimating that the two countries have a balanced bilateral trade, Rupel meanwhile said that Slovenia would like to increase business ties further via its port of Koper.
The two officials also discussed the cooperation within NATO and the EU, focusing on the EU'e next financial perspective and ratification of the EU constitution.
They highlighted that the agreement on financial perspective was of major importance for the two countries and should be adopted during the Luxembourg presidency in order not to hinder the EU constitution ratification process.
Neither of the two countries plans to hold a referendum on the constitution. As Kukan explained, the Slovakian parliament is scheduled to ratify the treaty in May, while the Slovenian lawmakers are due to ratify it on 1 February.
Slovenia's OSCE presidency in 2005 was another topic they discussed. Kukan pledged Slovakia would actively cooperate with the chair of the OSCE, an organisation faced with a "difficult situation".
Asked by the press to comment on the future relations between the US and the EU during the second term of US President George W. Bush, Rupel said that he expected the relations to improve.
Before meeting Rupel, Kukan met PM Janez Jansa and President of the National Council Janez Susnik. He was also received by President Janez Drnovsek.
Kukan and Drnovsek discussed the EU constitution, the euro adoption and the situation in Ukraine among other things.

Kukan and Rupel Praise Good Bilateral Relations

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