On November 16th, 2023, Cătălin Predoiu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, paid an official visit to Slovenia, following the invitation of his Slovenian counterpart, Boštjan Poklukar.
During the meeting, the two dignitaries addressed European topics of common interest, such as asylum and migration, Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, issues on the bilateral agenda with an emphasis on police cooperation and emergency situations, as well as the strengthening of regional and European cooperation.
The dialogue between the two officials highlighted the similar visions and common positions regarding most aspects of the regional, European and international agenda.
The common interest in fighting crime in all its forms was reiterated, as well as in establishing the best ways of cooperation, including from the perspective of organizing a meeting at the level of police chiefs. In this sense, the importance of the operative exchange of information for combating organized crime was highlighted, with an emphasis on the trafficking of migrants, drugs and cyber-crimes. The Slovenian side authority communicated its intention to send an internal affairs attaché to Romania, who would contribute to the efficiency of cooperation.
The two ministers reiterated the importance of cooperation processes in the field of internal affairs with the countries of the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine, the need to support these states in the EU accession process, but also the concrete involvement in supporting the efforts of some of these states for preventing, combating illegal migration and developing return measures, including with the support of European agencies.
Related to the European agenda, the two dignitaries exchanged opinions on the main pending files, with an emphasis on the expansion of the Schengen area. The Slovenian official reiterated his strong support and desire to be actively involved in the completion of this file.
At the same time, Minister Cătălin Predoiu highlighted the main steps taken by Romania in order to emphasize our country’s commitment to participate in regional efforts to reduce migration flows and secure the EU’s external borders.
