Government Office for Slovenians Abroad of the Republic of Slovenia

11/17/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/18/2022 07:43

State Secretary Štucin pays a visit to Vienna

State Secretary Marko Štucin paid a bilateral visit to Vienna and met with Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution Karoline Edtstadler and Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs Dr Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal.

State Secretary Štucin and Minister Edtstadler focused on topical EU issues such as migration and respect for the rule of law. They also acknowledged the importance of the enlargement process for the Western Balkan region and endorsed the granting of candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 2022. They expressed their support for Ukraine and called for continuing efforts to achieve peace.

In his conversation with Secretary General Launsky-Tieffenthal, State Secretary Štucin underlined the importance of guaranteeing the rights of the Slovenian national community in the Republic of Austria. In this context, he particularly stressed the need for the full functioning of Schengen and the abolition of internal border controls. The two high officials also discussed regional cooperation and current international issues, such as the situation in the Western Balkans and Ukraine and the related energy crisis.