Fajon calls for humanitarian aid to Gaza, close cooperation with Turkey, Africa

"The key message today, at least from my side, will be that humanitarian aid to civilians must continue," Fajon said as she arrived in Brussels.

The minister reiterated that Slovenia will not stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which Israel has accused of involvement in the October attack by Hamas.

UNRWA is crucial at this moment for continued aid and to creating the conditions for serious talks on a two-state solution.

The Foreign Ministry has prepared a non-paper to reflect on the future political architecture in Gaza, based on the experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

"Slovenia has its own experience, has experience both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo, and we discussed how to put this experience on paper, not as a proposal, but as an experience of how the international community acted at the time, when it came to stopping the war and taking that first step forward," Fajon said.

She does not plan to present the paper at the meeting, but is discussing it with colleagues who are interested.

The agenda for the meeting also includes further support for Ukraine, as well as EU relations with Turkey and Africa.

"Turkey is an important strategic partner of the European Union," Fajon said. Both sides have an interest in talking to each other, she said. It is not only about migration, but also about security and economic issues, she said. She is also seeking to visit Turkey with an economic delegation.

Fajon called for close cooperation with Africa, which showed great confidence in Slovenia when it voted for its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council. "This is a continent that is facing challenges ranging from poverty to climate change and rising tensions, including violence. So we need to work with the African continent, it is our strategic partner," the minister said.