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29.11.2007 |
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Meeting between Foreign Affairs Minister Rupel and Italian Foreign Minister D’Alema |
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Rome, 29 November 2007 – While accompanying Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša on his visit to Rome and the Vatican, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel held bilateral talks with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema. The main subjects under discussion were relations between Slovenia and Italy and the situation in the Western Balkans, particularly the Kosovo question. In their discussion, Mr Rupel and Mr D’Alema highlighted the excellent relations between their two countries and the cooperation which, in all fields, is being extended and intensified. Mr Rupel expressed his gratitude for Mr D’Alema’s offer of help and cooperation from Italy during Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. |
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Minister Rupel and Minister D'Alema
(Photo: Bobo)
The Ministers also agreed to call Slovenian and Italian Government Ministers to a coordinating committee meeting in January 2008. The idea of setting up a coordinating committee was initiated in January 2007 on the occasion of a visit by Mr D’Alema to Slovenia. A memorandum of understanding establishing a coordinating committee to jointly address aspects of energy, environmental, transport and other economic issues in the Northern Adriatic area was signed later, in May 2007. The memorandum of understanding provides for the opportunity to consolidate political and economic relations between the two countries.
Minister Rupel and Italian Prime Minister Prodi
(Photo: Bobo)
Mr Rupel pointed out that the matter of the future status of Kosovo was still very complex. Cooperation between Italy and Slovenia will continue in future, as they endeavour to find solutions to problems related to the future status of Kosovo and the future ESDP Mission. The ministers also emphasised the importance of a unified EU approach and the European Union’s role in finding a definitive solution.
After meeting his Italian counterpart Mr D’Alema, Mr Rupel affirmed that Italy and Slovenia “will proceed absolutely in step” in the matter of the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (EFPZ), which Croatia planned to impose on EU Member States too as of 1 January 2008. He added that the authorities in both Rome and Ljubljana were actively trying to persuade Croatia to defer, or even refrain from, enforcing the ecological zone.
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