Prime Minister Janez Jansa and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso visited on Thursday the Ljubljana Technology Park, with Jansa saying that the facility demonstrated Slovenia's desire to become an even more modern and development-oriented country.
Jansa, the current chair of the EU Council, said that innovation, ingenuity and the option to transfer know-how to practice were key for survival in a competitive global world.
He pointed to greater innovation and better global competitiveness as the key goals and stressed that the support for these goals was included in Slovenia's development strategy and in the EU's Lisbon Strategy.
Slovenia established a competitiveness council earlier in the year in order to implement a missing piece of the supportive system for the knowledge-based society, the prime minister said.
The council aims to bolster cooperation between science and research institutions, universities and faculties and private companies and institutions.
Barroso, who is on a working visit, meanwhile labelled Slovenia a success story, pointing to its euro- and Schengen-zone entry, and praised the zeal and enthusiasm with which the country conducts its ongoing EU presidency.
He also lavished praise on the technology park, saying "it is clear that the park provides support and environment for innovative knowledge and technology".
Jansa and Barroso also held talks at Strmol Castle earlier in the day, with Barroso saying the pair discussed energy, climate change and the prospects of EU membership for the Western Balkan countries.
During his first visit to Slovenia since the country is at the helm of the EU, Barroso also met Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, for talks related to the EU and the Slovenian presidency spell.
The pair focused particularly on problems related to global food price hikes and their impact on the fulfillment of development goals, according to a press release from the president's office.
They called for through analysis of the hikes and careful response to the issue and coordination at the EU-level. They warned against jumping to conclusions about the impact of biofuels production on food prices.
Barroso also briefed the Slovenian president on the European Commission's ideas on ways to assess progress in the attainment of Millennium goals and to determine obligations for their future fulfillment. The theme will be topical at the September UN summit in New York.
|
Subscribe
To receive our weekly newsletter by e-mail subscribe here.
HOME
Government | Calendar of Events | Media Room | About Slovenia
Sitemap | Contact us | About us | Graphic version | Slovensko
© Government Communication Office