Ahead of the first meeting of the NATO Heads of State and Government the Slovenian Prime Minister emphasised that yesterday the Slovenian Government discussed and agreed on the initiative for the conclusion of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Finland. The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy also gave the green light to the initiative for the conclusion of the Protocols on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Finland at today's emergency session. Prime Minister Golob expects that the procedures for signing the Protocols could start before the parliamentary recess.

He added that there is a great need in Slovenia to start dealing seriously with the issue of defence expenditure. "I am counting on the Government to be able to draw up a serious plan within six months which will show not only the amount of expenditure to be earmarked for defence but in particular to which programme contents and investments the amount will be allocated. Slovenia should come up with this plan within six months and then start to implement it," concluded the Prime Minister.

The plan will also define the achievement of NATO's commitment on budgetary expenditure in the amount of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP). According to the commitments made by the previous governments, this is currently envisaged to be implemented by 2030. Given the rapidly changing situation in the world Prime Minister Golob estimates that this timeline will have to be accelerated, because security and defence are an integral part of defence policies.