US ambassador says relations with Slovenia solid and strong

Harpootlian, who has been in Slovenia since mid-February and witnessed the change of government in the country, said in the interview she was greatly impressed by how smoothly the general election and the transfer of power were carried out.

She is looking forward to working with President-elect Nataša Pirc Musar as the first women president in Slovenia. She has met Pirc Musar on several occasions and finds her to be "delightful," and as lawyers the two have many things in common.

She also thanked the outgoing President Borut Pahor for his service, noting he was a "real asset for Slovenia" and "epitome of decorum and diplomacy."

The ambassador said the US cooperated well with both the previous, Janez Janša government, under which the two countries launched a strategic dialogue, and the current Robert Golob government.

The US-Slovenia relationship has been very strong no matter who had been leading the government in Slovenia, and it continues today with the new government, she said.

"We have great cooperation with Slovenia on security, our economic ties are strong," she said, noting that the US company Westinghouse had been operating the reactor of the Krško nuclear power plant (NEK) since 1975, therefore for 47 years.

In this context, Aleshia Duncan, the deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of Energy, will pay a visit next week to talk about civil nuclear opportunities in the region and possibility of developing a second nuclear reactor in Slovenia.

Cooperation is also strong in humanitarian assistance, where the ambassador noted the funding of the ITF Enhancing Human Security, an NGO specialising in land mine clearance, to which the US contributed over 230 million dollars.

As for Slovenia's engagement regarding Ukraine, she said that "Slovenia has been a really excellent NATO ally and partner, they provided substantial military equipment to Ukraine, very substantial humanitarian assistance, and helped with refugees."

The ambassador noted that right now Slovenia was also working on providing equipment that would to help restore the energy grid in Ukraine. "We have been very thankful for their commitment and their unwavering support for Ukraine."

As for the Western Balkans, which has been further destabilised by the war in Ukraine, Harpootlian said the future lies in EU enlargement. "We are very supportive of that, that's because it's going to bring stability and democracy to the region."

She noted that Slovenia had been an incredible example in showing what is possible as a former Yugoslav republic. "Slovenia's own excellent democracy and their willingness to help the Balkans is a tremendous asset, one the US is very thankful for."

As for the US commitment in the region, Harpootlian said "we are constantly trying to keep the door of diplomacy open with that region and help in any way we can," while noting that the regional, European effort was needed.

The ambassador believes that the EU-US relations are stronger than ever. "I think that the war in Ukraine has brought everyone together and it made us realise the importance of unity."

"It is critical for anything we do, whether it is economic or security-related for us to be unified," she said, adding that "even if we have disputes, we are able to amicably discuss them and settle them."

In the context of the inflation reduction act, which the EU believes threatens competitiveness and jobs in Europe, Harpootlian said it was important to further strengthen the partnership on clean energy and climate for mutual benefit.

"On the issue of climate - we all need to act as quickly as possible, we need to take real substantive action and this is what President Biden is doing through the inflation reduction act," the ambassador added.

As for the growing political polarisation in the US, the ambassador said this did not affect the role of the US as a global leader, and that there was no danger that the country stopped supporting Ukraine.

"In terms of Ukraine, I think there is no risk of the US wavering, I think we will stand with Ukraine until Russia leaves Ukraine," she said, noting that President Biden had made that clear.

"We are a democracy and there are many voices and we give those voices a chance to be heard. It may be confusing, but we work through it, and that's the nature of democracy," Harpootlian said, noting that democracy was not taken for granted.