Sloveense voorzitter EU belt met nieuwgekozen Russische president (en)

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and President of the European Council, Mr Janez Jansa, after last night offering his congratulations to the winner of the presidential elections in Russia, Mr Dmitry Medvedev, on his election success, today had a telephone conversation with the Russian President-elect, in which the two leaders exchanged views on cooperation in both the bilateral and the European context.

The incoming Russian President stressed that he was committed to advancing dialogue between the European Union and the Russian Federation and was looking forward to the EU-Russian Federation Summit to be held in Hanti-Mansiisk in June. The Slovenian Prime Minister and the Russian President-elect agreed that, given the strategic importance of partnership between the European Union and Russia, a stable legal framework for cooperation was essential. The Slovenian Prime Minister gave assurances that he would strive to ensure that the European Union's negotiation positions were coordinated at the earliest possible opportunity.

The Prime Minister, Janez Jansa, highlighted the opportunities offered during the period of Slovenia's EU Council Presidency. Mr Jansa and Mr Medvedev concurred in their opinion that the current EU Presidency, being held as it is for the first time by a Slavic Member State, constitutes an opportunity to further strengthen relations between the European Union and Russia.