The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Jansa, today met the President of the Italian Republic, Mr Giorgio Napolitano, who payed an official visit to Slovenia at the invitation of President Danilo Tuerk.
Prime Minister Jansa and President Napolitano agreed that neighbourly relations have reached a high level of cooperation and that the two countries have been maintaining intensive dialogue at all levels. The entry of the Republic of Slovenia into the European Union, the European monetary union and recently also the Schengen Area have given rise to new opportunities for strengthening cooperation in economy, science, culture and other areas. PM Jansa and Mr Napolitano stressed that it was in their countries' common interest to stabilise the Western Balkans in the long term, confirming that the unity of the European Union on this issue was of vital importance for addressing open issues in the region.
In the meeting with the President of Slovenia Danilo Tuerk, Napolitano stressed the importance of the minorities in the relations between Italy and Slovenia. "Our bilateral relations are close but they have to be even closer, including because of the minorities" said the Italian President, adding that minorities were an asset that should be seen as a basis for the furthering of bilateral cooperation.
"In this sense we should forget the events that divided us in the past. We have to focus more on cooperation in Europe and erase any trace of misunderstanding," Napolitano added.
Talking about reconciliation, Tuerk said this was a process that already yielded good results. "This process will be completed when we perceive ourselves foremost as Europeans. We shall talk about history, but it will not be put to the fore."
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