Credit: Tamino Petelinšek/STA

On Wednesday 8 May 2019, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel participated in the "Mosaic of the Future" ceremony in Ljubljana; the event marked the 15th anniversary of Slovenia's accession to the EU. 

During a speech on this occasion, the Luxembourg Prime Minister stressed that "it is a special honour to celebrate with you today this important moment, because it was under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council that the decision of Slovenia's accession to the EU was taken".

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel went on to highlight Slovenia's positive contributions to the EU since its accession: "Without a doubt, since joining the EU, Slovenia has established itself not only as a a solid economy, but also and above all as a reliable and trustworthy pro-European partner, as well as a voice of reason in favour of European integration. In the EU, Slovenia has managed to find its place and strengthen its profile: Slovenia has thus established itself in this family of nations as a truly European country."

Xavier Bettel then highlighted the role that has been and can be played by smaller EU members states: "Like Slovenia, Luxembourg is convinced of the urgent need to strengthen the internal cohesion of the EU. We must focus on the fundamental principles and values ​​that are at the origin of the European project. In this context, I look forward to working closely with our Slovenian partners. I am convinced that small countries must join forces and cooperate more closely to successfully defend our common interests."

Also on the agenda was a working dinner with Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. This served as an opportunity to discuss good bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as to have an exchange of views on common priorities for the future of the EU.

On 9 May 2019, the Prime Minister travelled to Sibiu, Romania, to participate in the informal European Council. The aim of this informal summit was to have a first discussion on the main orientations of the next EU strategic agenda for the period 2019-2024.