Skip to main content

Fourth Strategic Dialogue between Slovenia and the USA

State Secretary Sanja Štiglic and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien hosted the fourth Strategic Dialogue between the two countries in Ljubljana. Established in 2020, the Slovenian-US Strategic Dialogue provides a framework for strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchanging views on all topical issues facing the international community.

On the Slovenian side, this year's Strategic Dialogue was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Defence and the Government Information Security Office, and on the US side by representatives of the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the US space agency NASA.

The main foreign policy issues discussed were the Western Balkans, Ukraine, the Middle East, China and the Indo-Pacific region, as well as cooperation in the United Nations, including as members of the Security Council. The two countries reviewed bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, science, defence, security and combating cyber threats. By signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation, they reaffirmed their partnership to strengthen resilience and combat disinformation. In the field of energy, the two countries further strengthened their ties through the Phoenix Project, under which the US will provide advisory and technical services to help Slovenia deliver cleaner energy.

Slovenia also took the opportunity to sign the Artemis Accords, which offer many new opportunities for industry and scientific research in Slovenia, as well as economic benefits from cooperation in advanced technologies, including space technologies and artificial intelligence. The Accords were signed in the presence of representatives of the US space agency NASA, namely Rebecca Bresnik, an expert in international space law, and Randolph Bresnik, an American astronaut of Slovenian origin.

The next Strategic Dialogue will take place in Washington in 2025.