Slovenia and Poland pledged to continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary as President Andrzej Duda met his counterpart Nataša Pirc Musar at the outset of his two-day visit to Slovenia.

At a joint press conference at Brdo estate on 20 March, Pirc Musar argued military assistance is what Ukraine needs the most at present, while she noted Kyiv will also need help when the war is over.

Meanwhile, Duda warned of the rising Russian imperialism. In order to avoid new military conflicts, he proposed increasing the NATO defence spending guideline from 2% to 3% of GDP.

Pirc Musar also addressed the conflict in Gaza, condemning the repeating attacks on people waiting for humanitarian aid. She called for a ceasefire, respect for humanitarian law, and the release of hostages. Both presidents expressed support for a two-state solution.

Poland will assume the presidency of the EU Council next year. One of its priorities, according to Duda, will be assisting Western Balkan countries on their path to the EU, which Pirc Musar welcomed.

Enhancing trade ties

The two leaders also discussed economic cooperation, with Pirc Musar stressing that Poland is an important trading partner for Slovenia, ranking ninth by volume of total trade.

Slovenia's merchandise exports there were worth €1.34 billion last year and imports €1.33 billion.

In light of this, they explored various opportunities for enhancing economic cooperation, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

The presidents will attend a Slovenian-Polish business forum on 21 March. It will be held in the Planica Nordic Centre, where the final competitions of the Ski Jumping World Cup will be under way.

Farmers' protests and food security

Commenting on the protests of Polish farmers who believe that Ukrainian products do not meet EU standards and represent unfair competition, Duda said the protests had not paralysed relations between Poland and Kyiv.

While noting that Polish farmers are able to cover all of Poland's needs with their production, he called for addressing the farmers' grievances, particularly at the EU level.

The Slovenian president also believes that the farmers protests should be taken very seriously. She is convinced that all farmers in the European market should operate under the same conditions, including Ukrainian. She however also warned of the impact of climate change on food security.

"In Slovenia, we may not yet realise how important agriculture is in light of climate change. This will be a constant in the future, and agricultural policies will need to adapt. Europe has been hungry in the past, and we do not want this to repeat," she added.

The presidents also highlighted the good relations between the two countries and Pirc Musar thanked Poland for all the help it provided during the August floods in Slovenia.

Duda also met Prime Minister Robert Golob, National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič and President of the National Council Marko Lotrič.