Prime Minister Golob and the US President on the importance of alliance and friendship

SLOVENIA, October 22 - Prime Minister 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.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Golob briefly summarised his meeting with the US President: "First of all, I would like to thank President Biden, my friend Joe, for the time he has given us, not only today but also in the past. Most importantly, I would like to thank him for his friendship and the trust he has always placed in Slovenia. I believe this will further enhance our cooperation." He highlighted that today's working visit with President Biden was an excellent opportunity not only for an open exchange of views on the world's most pressing issues but also for deepening the already strong cooperation between Slovenia and the United States. "Our shared conclusion is that when relations are built on friendship and trust, nothing is impossible. The fact that two such different countries can discuss the future as equals is evidence of this," said the Prime Minister.

"I am confident that this visit will open many doors for Slovenia in the future, and that all of us – our businesses, researchers and artists – will take full advantage of these opportunities," concluded the Prime Minister.

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.

In the evening, the Prime Minister will attend a dinner with representatives of Washington-based think tanks, hosted by the Slovenian Ambassador to the United States, Iztok Mirošič. Among the attendees will be 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 will be former US Ambassador to Slovenia, Jamie Harpootlian, and her husband, South Carolina State Senator Richard Harpootlian.

Prime Minister Golob is the third Slovenian Prime Minister to pay a working visit to the US President at the White House. Former Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek met with President Bill Clinton in 1998 and President George W. Bush in 2002, while former Prime Minister Janez Janša had a working visit with President George W. Bush in 2006.