Ljubljana - Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke for the Italian public broadcaster Rai on Thursday evening to note that, when it comes to the situation in Ukraine, Slovenia shares with other European countries the concern for peace in the eastern neighbourhood. He also discussed the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and relations between Slovenia and Italy.

In an interview for Rai 2, Janša said regarding Ukraine that Slovenia, like other European countries, held a firm position that every country had the right to decide independently on its foreign policy orientation, including EU and NATO membership.

The prime minister's office added that Janša had added that third countries, in this case Russia, did not have the right to veto a decision of one nation for self-determination.

As for the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, the Slovenian prime minister said that this was the only positive prospect for the region, bringing something that makes one of the key causes of disputes and conflicts much less important.

"With EU membership, the question of where the borders are, who has been deprived in the past, are being pushed aside, and the joint future is coming to the forefront," he said.

Regarding the relations between Slovenia and Italy, Janša said that they had never been better, regardless of the type of multinational communities in which the two nations had lived in the past, especially Slovenians.

"We can only wish that this situation lasts and that we continue to build on these friendly foundations, on these good, solid foundations," Janša concluded.