Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu welcomed his Sovenian counterpart Borut Pahor to Jerusalem Monday. In a joint press conference, Netanyahu said that Israeli negotiations with the Palestinian Authority should be handled in a way similar to how Pahor sat down and negotiated with the Croatian leadership.
Netanyahu said: “I was struck by the fact that when we met in the OECD… you said to me, ‘There is a big referendum. I have to deal with it, and I’m going to deal with it personally.’ And what you proceeded to do is to have direct negotiations and direct contacts with the leader of Croatia, and you and she achieved something quite remarkable.
“I find that particularly instructive in the task that we face with our Palestinian neighbors, because I believe there is no substitute for direct negotiations to resolve conflicts and achieve peace and I take a leaf from your book. It’s an impressive book, so I hope very much that we can proceed on direct negotiations as the real, effective and most promising course for peace, certainly not unilateral impositions by one-sided resolutions in the UN.
“Peace has to come from inside, from the leaders who are convinced that they’re serving the interests of their people, in mutual compromises.”
Pahor says that his country’s relations with Israel are “excellent politically and economically speaking.” However, the countries want to improve them further, in the sphere of high technology, tourism and trade.
In particular, the Slovenians would like to see Israel making more use of the Port of Koper. “It is extremely important for us that your economy would go to Europe through the Port of Koper,” he said. “We provide all necessary facilities for very good help, if you want, for Israel to use it to go to Europe.”