Western Balkans (Photo: Nevena Zaric)
Tone Kajzer, the nominated foreign and European affairs minister in the new Slovenian cabinet, said on June 2 that his country will continue to advocate the integration of the Western Balkans in the European Union (EU), which remains the main area of its foreign policy activities.
“There will be no deviation. We will continue to advocate EU integration of the Western Balkans,” Kajzer said at a hearing before the Assembly’s Committees of Foreign Policy and European Affairs.
Kajzer, 59, was nominated for the foreign minister post by the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party, led by Janez Jansa, who will formally be appointed Slovenia’s prime minister this week.
When asked by Matej Grah, an MP from the left-liberal Freedom Movement, to comment on the political situation in Serbia and the student-led protests, Kajzer said that it is not a matter for daily political debate in Slovenia.
“From Serbia, I expect, and this is also addressed by our commissioner (for enlargement Marta Kos), to respect the fundamental postulates of the rule of law, human rights, democracy, all those elements that must be fulfilled by a country to join the EU. The EU-Western Balkans summit will be held soon, so these are the forums where communication takes place with the Western Balkan countries,” he said.
Franc Breznik, chair of the Assembly’s Foreign Committee from the Slovenian Democratic Party, said that together with Zoran Stevanovic, the National Assembly speaker and leader of party Resni.ca, he will pay an official visit to Belgrade in the period from June 16 to 18.
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