The Slovenia Times

Political overview

Nekategorizirano

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Marking the 25th year of independence, the government celebrated Slovenian Diplomacy Day on 22 May by dedicating the anniversary to the polyhedral personality of Izidor Cankar, a former Slovenian diplomat who served in different posts in the middle of the twentieth century. During the celebrations, Prime Minister, Miro Cerar, expressed his full appreciation of the exceptional progress of diplomacy in terms of the support provided to Slovenia's export-oriented economy. The Prime Minister also highlighted the key role played by the EU as the guarantor of stability, safety and prosperity, advocating the role of Slovenian diplomacy in shaping the EU's common foreign security policy and the preparation of a global strategy. Most importantly, the Prime Minister reiterated the country's full adherence to the principles and values of the United Nations Charter, including the right of self-determination of people and the respect for human rights and fundamental liberties.

Human rights were addressed in a two-day World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May, where the Prime Minister emphasised the ongoing promotion of international humanitarian law and its enforcement. Referring to the UN was not without underlying meaning, as the organisation may be centre stage for a high-profile campaign by Slovenian politics and diplomacy. As Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's term as Secretary-General comes to a close, supposedly it will be Eastern Europe's first turn at the helm of the New York-based organisation, with former Slovenian President, Dr Danilo Türk a potential candidate to replace the outgoing Secretary-General. However, well-informed diplomats say the bloc is not coordinated, meaning that it risks losing the opportunity for the post. Among the heavyweight candidates are Vuk Jeremić (Serbia) and Vesna Pusić (Croatia), while Miroslav Lajčák, the Slovakian Foreign Minister and former EU representative in Bosnia, is expected to announce his candidacy shortly.

Foreign-policy activism was also geared toward more concrete goals. True to the saying "build on your strengths", Slovenia could boast of two other achievements. One, the country will lead the way in coordinating sustainable forestry management for 2016-2017 between China and Central and Eastern European countries: an action plan aimed at encouraging multi-functional forestry management and protection of wetlands and wild animals was signed at Brdo pri Kranju by all the stakeholders. Secondly, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Dejan Židan, is trying to establish 20 May as World Bee Day within the framework of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). As a country with a long-standing tradition in bee-keeping, Slovenia would like to raise global awareness on the important role of bees in ensuring sustainable development in agriculture, expecting to formally celebrate World Bee Day in 2018. 

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