Melita Gabrič: We must strive to build trust, not deepen divisions

SLOVENIA, November 27 - State Secretary Gabrič participated in the panel "Global Governance Reloading: Starting from the MENA?", together with Majed Al Ansar, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, and Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Western Sahara. The panel sought answers to what strategies can be used to balance the interests of different regional actors while promoting a united approach to global governance, and what role the countries of the wider Mediterranean can play in supporting such reforms and improvements.

In her remarks, the State Secretary welcomed the Lebanon ceasefire and expressed her hope for a ceasefire in Gaza soon, as well. As an elected Member of the UN Security Council, Slovenia strongly advocated more cooperation and closer ties in response to the major challenges we face. At a time of heightened geostrategic competition and multipolarity, it is vital to preserve multilateralism and ensure its effective functioning, including through UN reform. She stressed that we must all strive to build trust, not deepen divisions or foster rivalries.

State Secretary Gabrič also took the floor as a friend of the Western Balkans in the panel "Securing the Mediterranean: the Role of the Western Balkans", opened by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The panel also included Foreign Minister of Albania Iglio Hasani, Foreign Minister of Montenegro Ervin Ibrahimovic, and Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedin Konakovic, and Assistant Minister for Security Policy of Serbia Igor Kuzelka. The panellists discussed the strategic position of the Western Balkans at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean, and its role in ensuring security in the Mediterranean. State Secretary Gabrič underlined the importance of the EU enlargement perspective, which helps both to deepen regional cooperation and to provide geostrategic stability. Energy, transport and digital connectivity will help to integrate these countries more fully into the EU.

The conference also featured a panel on Women in Mediation with Ambassador Darja Bavdaž Kuret, Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security.