Before the meeting’s beginning, Prime Minister Golob made a statement to the media. "The key mission and responsibility of the alliance is to maintain peace. This is our main responsibility and commitment. Peace must be and remain the main guiding principle behind of all our efforts," he said.

"At the NATO summit in Washington, we expect to make an important step forward," said the Prime Minister. He stressed that a shift was not required only in investments in defence and in the fact that Ukraine gets additional guarantees that NATO will stand by its side. "I believe that there will also be a shift in NATO behaviour, becoming more like a political military organisation and taking its next steps in either the Euro-Atlantic or the Indo-Pacific area," he said.

Prime Minister Golob also addressed the issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO. "There is no doubt that Ukraine is on the way to becoming a member of the NATO Alliance. After all, this process has been ongoing for more than a decade. The question is not if, but when. I understand that the moment has not yet arrived, but let us act as if it were possible as early as tomorrow," stressed the Prime Minister.

"It is important that in this interim period we are all aware of our obligations, contribute to the increase in our military budget and defence capabilities, and, together with other NATO member countries, contribute to the aid for Ukraine. Slovenia will contribute its share to Ukraine defence," concluded the Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon said, "NATO is an alliance of values that plays an extremely important role in an increasingly complex security environment. It has a great responsibility for peace due its strong political role. I am looking forward to today's dinner with US Secretary of State Blinken, when we will also talk with our Western Balkan partners in the spirit of deepening our partnership and cooperation. This is crucial for the stability of the region, which deserves the soonest possible progress on its Euro-Atlantic path."

Prime Minister Golob and Minister Šarec had a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb. The talks between the two leaders and the delegations of Slovenia and Finland focused on strengthening military cooperation and strengthening the military industry directly between their respective governments and defence ministries. They also discussed the world's security situation, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine and the impact of this war on the Western Balkans.

On the sidelines of the NATO summit, there is a programme for women, hosted by the first lady of the United States of America, Jill Biden. The partner of the Slovenian Prime Minister, Tina Gaber, will visit the National Museum of American History in the company of the spouses and partners of the leaders of NATO member states, where they will see a unique collection of items once owned by celebrities who changed the course of American history with their work in the world of entertainment and stardom. The women's programme will be concluded by a lunch hosted by the first lady of the United States of America, Jill Biden.

In the evening, Prime Minister Golob and Tina Gaber will attend a reception and dinner for the leaders of all the partner countries hosted by the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill Biden, at the White House. The reception and dinner will also be attended by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

Minister Fajon will attend a reception hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Minister Šarec will attend a reception of Ministers of Defence hosted by the US Secretary of State Lloyd Austen.