Ljubljana - Prime Minister Janez Janša met European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica in Ljubljana on Friday to discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe and demographic issues, the government said.

The commissioner expressed concern about the low participation of European citizens in the debates on the future of Europe.

Janša meanwhile stressed the need for an open and frank discussion about concrete topics and problems which affect the citizens' every-day lives.

The pair also stressed the role of participation of Western Balkan countries in the debate on Europe's future.

Šuica pointed to the role of demography, with the pair sharing a view that the issue of demography is key to the future of Europe.

The Commission's vice-president was in Ljubljana today to attend an international conference on smart villages, which was held as part of Slovenia's EU presidency.