Minister Kajzer at NATO Summit |Author Government of the Republic of Slovenia

NATO heads of state and government will discuss the most urgent security issues with key partners. The agenda will include defence expenditure, strengthening the Alliance’s defence industry production and capabilities, further support for Ukraine and enhancing NATO’s preparedness in the face of current security challenges. This year’s slogan was ‘NATO 3.0: A stronger Europe in a stronger NATO’.

At the beginning of the Summit, Minister Kajzer emphasised the importance of the adopted decisions for the future of the Alliance: “These decisions are not only a response to direct challenges, but will also shape the Euro-Atlantic security environment in the years to come. Collective defence and shared values remain at the core of NATO, but the strategic environment is changing rapidly. As threats are multidomain, faster and more complex, the most important thing today is results: capabilities, defence industry preparedness and operational responsiveness. The Alliance’s objective is clear: to become more coherent, capable and resilient.” Minister Kajzer participated in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers and their Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partner countries, where they discussed the security situation in the Gulf and ways to further enhance the partnership between NATO and the countries in the region. During the discussion, the Minister emphasised the importance of dialogue and cooperation with southern partners, particularly in view of the escalating security situation in the Middle East, which significantly affects Euro-Atlantic security. Following Iran’s attack, he expressed solidarity with the Gulf States and welcomed the agreement between the United States of America and Iran, reached under the leadership of President Donald Trump, as an important diplomatic opportunity to achieve greater stability in the region. He also emphasised the need to ensure that Iran never develops or obtains nuclear weapons. The Minister highlighted the importance of unimpeded freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, without restrictions or additional levies. He stressed that Slovenia supports all diplomatic efforts to secure a safe and open maritime route, which is crucial for regional and global stability.

Minister Kajzer participated in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, where ministers discussed providing Ukraine with predictable, long-term and sustainable financial and military support.

During the discussion, he reiterated Slovenia’s strong support for Ukraine and presented the country’s new contributions. He underlined that Slovenia had decided to pledge an additional USD 50 million to the PURL initiative, bringing its total contribution through this mechanism to USD 100 million. He further highlighted that Slovenia will co-finance the construction of three civil protection shelters using official development resources, thereby strengthening the protection of the civilian population and Ukraine's resilience.

On the margins of the Summit, Minister Kajzer held bilateral meetings with his counterparts. In a meeting withEspen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, the two ministers praised the excellent relations between the two countries. They emphasised the importance of collective defence in the context of NATO 3.0. On the war in Ukraine, they agreed that it must end as soon as possible and that talks on its post-war reconstruction must begin immediately. They also touched on the situation in the Middle East and the cooperation between EEA and EU members. Minister Kajzer also held a bilateral meeting with his Slovak counterpart,Juraj Blanár. They welcomed the excellent relations between the two countries, and explored ways to deepen political, economic and security cooperation in Central Europe. The two countries work hand in hand to ensure international peace and security.

Minister Kajzer also held talks with Allison Hooker, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. They spoke about further strengthening bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and the US, particularly with regard to the economy, technology and civil nuclear energy. They also exchanged views on current foreign policy and security issues in Central Europe.

Group photo of the NATO Heads of State and Government in Ankara |Author Government of the Republic of Slovenia