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Discourse: Consistency in global policy needed amid divided world, Slovenian FM says
The Jakarta Post sat down with Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon during her first visit to Indonesia last month.
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Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon during her first visit to Jakarta in May 2023 (The Jakarta Post/Yvette Tanamal)
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em>In her first state visit to Indonesia last month, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon met with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and ASEAN Secretary-General Kim Kao Hourn. The visit, which saw Jakarta and Ljubljana expand their cooperation across various sectors, coincided with Slovenia’s bid for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council. The Jakarta Post’s Yvette Tanamal recently sat down with Minister Fajon to talk about her Southeast Asia visit, the role of smaller powers in diplomacy and how Russia’s invasion in Ukraine has affected the Central European and Balkans region. The following are excerpts from the interview:
Question: What can you share about your meeting with Minister Retno, and how will a stronger Indonesia-Slovenia relationship benefit both countries?
Answer: Slovenia is a small country, but it is a very green country with a clean environment and a strong focus on renewable technology. We also have the Port of Koper, which is the most modern Adriatic port and is a fantastic access [point] for Europe’s central and eastern regions. It’s the shortest way to enter the European market and it abides by a very high standard of environmental protection.
These are all opportunities to work together, not only in areas like tourism, but also through education and youth programs. Minister Retno pointed out that we already have some exchange of students among our universities, but we agreed that we want to expand these bilateral programs and to increase the numbers for trade and investment.
Indonesia is a fast-growing country, and is a very important partner in the region. It is also the leader of ASEAN. For Slovenia, which is on the other side of the globe, it is very important to have like-minded partners that are focused on preserving peace and stability.
