As EU members are forced to increase defence spending due to the geopolitical situation, this is seen as an opportunity for Slovenian and French defence companies, as well as those from other industries, including the automotive sector and ICT, the Slovenian-French Defence Industry Day event heard on 26 November.

Željko Kralj of the Logistics Directorate of the Slovenian Defence Ministry praised the cooperation between Slovenia and France in defence, noting that Slovenia has decided to buy French artillery systems and the Mistral air defence system.

The artillery contracts are expected to be completed by January 2025, and the procedures for the purchase of the Mistral systems are also expected to be initiated.

The purchase of artillery systems will encourage cooperation between the producer and Slovenian companies, and further cooperation is expected to be facilitated by other projects. "A defence industry fair in Celje next autumn will be another opportunity to upgrade these relations," Kralj said.

French Ambassador Florence Lévy noted the importance of cooperation between the countries' defence sectors, in particular given the ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.

Donald Trump's election as the US president "brings many unknowns in the future", Levy said, adding that the EU must invest in its defence, which is an opportunity for cooperation between Slovenia and France.

Matej Skočir of the Industry, Entrepreneurship and Internationalisation Directorate at the Economy Ministry said that cooperation in the defence industry means more trade, which facilitates economic growth and employment, as well as security in the EU.

In this context, he noted the cooperation in space technologies, where according to him Slovenian companies excel in the field of development.

Andreja Mulec Bohinc of SPIRIT noted that the public investment promotion agency, which co-hosted the event, has a long history of helping Slovenian defence companies operating in the defence industry.

Group appearances at international defence industry fairs (Eurosatory, Idex, DSEI, IDEF) have been organised since 2012 at the agency's initiative to help the Slovenian defence industry become more recognisable internationally and attract major partners and clients.

The event also featured presentations of Slovenian and French defence companies and bilateral meetings.