Following her address to the Slovenian National Assembly in Ljubljana, EP President Roberta METSOLA holds a press point together with President of the Slovenian National Assembly Urška KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ. The press point centers around the relevance of the upcoming 2024 European Elections and participation, as well as the call for a ceasefire and the developing situation in the Middle East. This transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

press point

official visit

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU - Slovenia (T)

Slovenia

Ljubljana

president's agenda

KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ, Urška

Press point by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Urška KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ, President of the Slovenian National Assembly

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ur&scaron;ka KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ, President of the Slovenian National Assembly, -.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you very much. Good morning. Dear President KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ, dear Urška , thank you for your invitation. First of all, it was a real honour for me to address the members of the Slovenian National Assembly this morning ahead of the European elections taking place on the 9th of June. Here in Slovenia, I am visiting member states in order to raise awareness about the elections and to encourage citizens to vote. I am here to listen to Slovenians, their concerns, hopes and expectations. In 2019, the European Parliament election, turnout in Slovenia was very low. Only 29% of citizens cast their votes much lower, in fact, than turnout in your parliamentary elections in 2022. We need to work together in order to reverse this trend. We need to work hard to make sure that everyone feels the importance of their participation in European Union elections. This is not just a democratic exercise, but rather an investment in your future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The next European Parliament will take key decisions which will have a direct impact on people's lives, on security, on climate, on energy, on rights. This is the reason why every vote matters. And you will decide on the direction that Europe will take in the coming five years. After my meetings this morning, I am confident we can count on the institutions of Slovenia to continue playing a proactive role in. Raising citizens awareness about the importance of voting. And I assure you that the European Parliament will do its part to to help close the gap between European and Slovenian decision making and to bring our projects closer to people. We need to strengthen our interparliamentary cooperation and increase our links. For this, I am grateful to you, dear president, for your leadership, especially with the engagement that you bring to the EU Women Speakers Network and your commitment to gender equality and women's rights. Thank you very, very much.

Q&A , question regarding 'the the accession negotiations UN Security Council decision and regading opening for Bosnia-Herzegovina.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, 'Well, for us, we very much look forward to yesterday's Security Council resolution to be implemented. We have long called for a ceasefire in the European Parliament. And, we are very much hopeful that after the vote yesterday, this will actually be seen on the ground. We have talked to the European Parliament for a permanent ceasefire. This talks, for the month of Ramadan, it is already too late. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed. The hostages have not yet been returned. So I would say, as in the words of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, not to do this, it would be unforgivable. And this is something that we fully share, and we will push.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We welcome, and this was a big commitment of the European Parliament, for the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. It is something that the European Parliament has called for for a very long time. It is well, expected, well waited. And as our Western Balkan partners have been waiting for decades now to be allowed to take the next steps. This was, the one that was very much remaining. And the parliament is the partner institutionally, with all our Western Balkan partners, to do just that. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Urška KLAKOČAR ZUPANČIČ, President of the Slovenian National Assembly, Thank you very much, Dear Roberta. I wish you personally all the best. And I wish the European Union all the best. I do hope that we will preserve and continue our European values: democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and inclusion. And, I do hope that the people will go and vote because it is very important. As I said, that we keep these rights and continue on our European path. So again, all the best. I do hope to see you again here in Slovenia. Thank you so much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you.