During his meeting with his Spanish colleague, Minister Logar stressed that solidarity, connectedness and unity underpin a solid and trustworthy partnership, particularly in these challenging times of the pandemic. The ministers renewed their pledge to exchange information on measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and restart the European economy. Slovenia and Spain share similar positions on the Next Generation EU recovery fund and the Multiannual Financial Framework, and are in full agreement that the European Union should become more united and more resilient to new global challenges.

Minister Logar drew particular attention to the preparations for Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2021. As Slovenia will also lead discussions on the future of the Union during its presidency, it is imperative that Member States exchange opinions and outline their visions in order to formulate firm proposals. The Minister then turned to the topic of the situation in the Western Balkans, which will also be one of the issues discussed during the presidency. The counterparts devoted particular attention to migration, namely to the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which Spain firmly supports. The groundwork for Spain’s Council presidency in 2023 will focus on the EU’s strategic autonomy and digitalisation.

Close ties and coordination between the two countries are also significant owing to their common Mediterranean dimension. Minister Logar acquainted Minister González Laya with Slovenia’s interest in joining the MED7 group for regional cooperation, thereby contributing towards tackling major Mediterranean issues.

The ministers then touched on the latest developments in Venezuela and the EU’s activities in this regard. They also highlighted the situation in Belarus, agreeing that it calls for a swift EU response.

Before the meeting with Minister González Laya drew to a close, Minister Logar welcomed the establishment of cooperation in diplomatic training between both foreign ministries.

At the outset of his visit to Madrid, he also met with the President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, Meritxell Batet Lamaña to discuss the EU Member States' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, solidarity, and the necessary adaptations at the state level. They were of one mind that cooperation between Slovenia and Spain needs to be strengthened, as the countries share similar standpoints on topical issues in Europe, and interparliamentary cooperation is undoubtedly one of the ways to achieve its consolidation. President Batet Lamaña made the point that EU membership gives Slovenia and Spain an opportunity to learn more about each other. Minister Logar provided her with an update on the preparations underway for Slovenia’s Council presidency and its objective to participate in the informal group of Mediterranean EU Member States MED7. On behalf of the President of the National Assembly, he extended an invitation to her to visit Slovenia. On the margins of these two meetings, Minister Logar also gave an interview for Spanish daily ABC.