Prime Minister Janez Jansa hailed the close cooperation between Slovenia and Peru as he met Peruvian President Alan Garcia in Lima on Thursday in the run-up to the summit of leaders from the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Slovenian prime minister, who is visiting Peru also in the capacity of president of the EU council, said that the countries had "become good friends" in preparing the fifth biennial summit of the two regions.
"This cooperation has borne fruit: the documents for tomorrow's summit are ready," Jansa told the press at the presidential palace in Lima.
Peru is the host of the event of the 27 countries from the EU and the 33 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. Slovenia has meanwhile helped to prepare the agenda, which will be dedicated to the fight on poverty and climate change.
Slovenia and Peru have held a series of high-level meetings in the run-up to the summit. Garcia pointed out that only recently Peru was visited by Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk.
Following the talks with Garcia, Jansa said he was "very impressed with the brave and development-minded economic policy led by Peru".
Jansa also encouraged Slovenian business to examine opportunities in South America, including Peru. He welcomed the visit of the Slovenian business delegation to Peru, which coincides with the summit.
Earlier in the day Jansa and the business delegation, which is headed by Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak, took part in an EU-LAC business conference that serves as a curtain raiser for the summit.
In his address to the conference, Jansa said that economic growth was the best instrument for fighting poverty and expressed confidence that the regions were set to achieve their goals from 2005 to double investment and trade by 2012.
Following the meeting with Garcia, Jansa met a group of Slovenians living in Peru. According to unofficial data, there are around 150 Slovenians in this South American country.
The main proceedings at the summit, which will be co-chaired by Jansa and Garcia, will begin on Friday, when the leaders from the two regions meet at the National Museum.
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