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Ambassador Mirošič and Prime Minister dr Robert Golob at the White House with President Biden

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the Ambassador Iztok Mirošič, together with Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, made a working visit to the White House at the invitation of the President of the United States, Joseph Biden.

Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob and US President Joe Biden met in the Oval Office, where they had a brief bilateral meeting, followed by a discussion between the Slovenian and US delegations. Before the meeting, Prime Minister Golob also signed the guest book, where he wrote: "This visit is a demonstration of the trust and friendship that we have built, both personally and between Slovenia and the United States, during the largest prisoner exchange since the Second World War. Our achievement is proof that nothing is impossible."

US President Biden opened the meeting by noting the importance of alliance and friendship when it comes to tackling the most difficult issues. Slovenia and the US have shown that the unthinkable – the historic prisoner exchange between the West and Russia – can be achieved with trust. They touched on important regional issues, including the situation in the Western Balkans and EU enlargement. Prime Minister Golob mentioned the nomination of Marta Kos as Slovenia's EU Commissioner-designate for a portfolio that will be important not only for enlargement but also for Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. US President Biden thanked Prime Minister Golob for Slovenia's ongoing support to Ukraine, and Prime Minister Golob assured him that Slovenia would continue to provide assistance and support. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East, agreeing on the urgent need to link US and European efforts to achieve de-escalation in the region and to establish humanitarian corridors for delivering humanitarian aid to both Gaza and Lebanon. Regarding bilateral relations, they agreed on the need to implement cooperation projects in the fields of science, research, artificial intelligence and space technologies as soon as possible.

At the invitation of the White House, for a special project to mark the end of US President Biden's term, Prime Minister Golob described their cooperation and recalled their conversation before the historic prisoner exchange, in which Slovenia played a key role. President Biden publicly and personally thanked Prime Minister Golob on several occasions for Slovenia's role in the exchange. 

Following the meeting at the White House, the Prime Minister also met with representatives of the Slovenian media in Washington. He emphasized that the visit is a symbol of friendship, trust, and mutual respect.

In the evening, Ambassador Mirošič hosted a working dinner at the residence in Washington, which the Prime Minister Dr. Golob attended along with representatives of Washington-based think tanks. Among the attendees was Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council; Damon Wilson, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy; former Ambassador Philip T. Reeker, the Chair of the Wilson Center's Global Europe Program and Partner and Lead of the Europe and Eurasia practice at Albright Stonebridge Group; as well as representatives from the US State Department and the National Security Council. Also in attendance was the former US Ambassador to Slovenia, Jamie Harpootlian, and her husband, South Carolina State Senator Richard Harpootlian.