At their second meeting of this sort, the Slovenian and Hungarian governments discussed a number of topics, including minority issues, the integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU and NATO, economic cooperation, energy and transport.
Pahor and Bajnai met representatives of the respective minorities before the government session, with Pahor saying at a press conference after the meeting that the minorities were a bridge between the two nations and that living in a multicultural environment was a privilege and not a burden.
He stressed that all needs to be done that both minorities can lead a quality life and not become assimilated.
Pahor offered to Hungary Slovenia's assistance in preparations for its stint as EU presiding country in the first half of 2011, calling on the next presiding trio to follow with a lot of care developments in the Western Balkans, especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bajnai congratulated Pahor on the border arbitration agreement with Croatia, saying not only political but also statesmanly courage was necessary to secure it. Hungary supports the expansion of the EU and NATO to the Western Balkans, believing this agreement will speed up the process.
As regards economic cooperation, the pair highlighted the investment of Hungarian-Canadian construction company Trigranit in the construction of the new passenger terminal called Emonika City Centre in Ljubljana. Bajnai added the Slovenian government had offered assistance in the project estimated at EUR 300m.
In energy, Pahor noted that Slovenia and Hungary were missing appropriate gas pipeline and electro-energy connections, which is why the two government decided to construct a gas pipeline and an overhead power line that will connect the two systems. Slovenia moreover wants to build on the Hungarian border a storage facility for natural gas, which it is currently lacking.
While the PMs were happy with the motorway connections between the two countries, they hope to be able to speed up railway transport links.
Pahor was accompanied in Hungary by the foreign, finance, economy, transport, justice, diaspora and local government ministers, while the Hungarian side was represented by the ministers for foreign affairs, finance, minorities, health, justice, transport, telecommunication and energy.
Slovenia and Hungary took the opportunity to sign a number of state agreements, which include a joint declaration on a Euroatlantic future for the Western Balkans, a memorandum on cooperation in energy, a programme for cooperation between the two health ministries in 2010-2011, a letter of intent between the Slovenian customs service and the Hungarian financial guard, and an action plan between the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI) and Hungary's agency for investment.
