Prime Minister Golob: "Slovenia remains firmly committed to respecting international law"

SLOVENIA, January 21 - Prime Minister Golob: "Slovenia remains firmly committed to respecting international law and the international order based on the Charter of the United Nations. We are convinced that for a country like ours, this international order is the best possible protection of our national interests, as well as a guarantee that we can live in peace. For this reason, we assess at this moment it is not yet time for Slovenia to accept the U.S. President's invitation to join the Board of Peace. 

Although we consider any initiative that could calm the situation in the Middle East to be commendable, in the opinion of our legal services, this invitation seriously encroaches on the broader international order, not just the appeasement in Gaza. For this reason, we will of course be closely monitoring developments. I myself will not be attending the announced meeting or signing in Davos tomorrow; instead, in the evening in Brussels, we will be seeking unity and determination among all European countries in order to give a uniform and common response, which I believe will put the right to territorial integrity, sovereignty and the inviolability of borders at the forefront. By this, we do not have only Greenland in mind, but the broader field of international relations.

If we want the international community to live in global peace again one day, this is the only possible path forward. We are well aware of this. And before any particular ambitions by anyone in Europe could emerge in the form of territorial claims, I believe we still have enough time to prevent this through appropriate action. I would also like to point out that Slovenian politics is unified on this issue. We have conducted a series of consultations and I believe that with this unified position we will carry even greater weight in the international community."

In continuation, Prime Minister Golob also answered questions from the media. When asked what had most influenced the decision regarding the Board of Peace, the Prime Minister said that "the international order in which the United Nations played a central role enabled Slovenia, Europe and beyond to live in peace for many decades. The risk of the disintegration of such a structure of the United Nations is what is really the most worrying. The mandate for Gaza based on a UN resolution is one thing, and in this context we also agree with participation in the Board of Peace. In the broader context, however, we believe that such a board, on the one hand, exceeds the powers that would stem from a UN Security Council resolution and, on the other hand, also exceeds what we would want as a sovereign state. The main concern is that the Board's mandate is simply too broad and could seriously undermine the international order based on the Charter of the United Nations."

Slovenia is not joining the Board of Peace; however, within a narrower mandate that would regulate the post-war reconstruction of Gaza, Slovenia would of course accept participation, the Prime Minister further explained.

Regarding the message Slovenia in sending by deploying two military officers to Greenland, the Prime Minister said that he had also discussed this with the Danish Prime Minister, who welcomed Slovenia's decision and expressed gratitude for it. "This is about defending the basic principle of the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders; they alone are the ones who can decide, and at this moment, their public opinion is very clear. Next are the Danes, who have full sovereignty over this territory. And we will respect that. For countries such as Slovenia, there can be no other path than to support sovereignty and territorial integrity. At first glance, our presence in Greenland may seem insignificant, but in fact it is very important in political terms," said the Prime Minister.

"When situations like the ones we are seeing in the world today arise, it may seem easiest to hide or to have no position at all. If there is one thing I am proud of in our foreign policy, it is that we have taken very clear positions over the last four years," said the Prime Minister, adding that our position is to stand with Greenland. "We stand with the Danes in defending their territorial integrity. Our mission is observational, and I believe that several military exercises will be held now in the Greenland area, precisely with the aim of demonstrating the ability to defend this area. Not defence against allies, but defence against anyone who would appear there with the wrong intentions and on the wrong path."

Regarding threats from Washington, including tariffs, against countries sending units to Greenland, the Prime Minister said: "If anyone, then we Slovenians know that freedom is never for sale and this is the principle that not only we, but the whole of Europe must follow." According to Prime Minister Golob, leaders will convey this message clearly and decisively tomorrow to anyone who might think otherwise. "I am also taking this message with me to Brussels. Europe must stand firmly and clearly on its own side, defend its interests and be united in doing so," concluded Prime Minister Golob.