Oct. 22 (UPI) — President Joe Biden met with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob on Tuesday at the White House in the first Oval Office visit by a Slovenian leader in 18 years.
During their meeting, the two leaders called for European unity, vowed support for Ukraine over Russia, discussed developments in the Middle East and reaffirmed U.S.-Slovenian cooperation on clean energy and advanced technologies.
Biden and Golob made brief remarks to reporters before retreating to their meeting, as the president referenced Slovenia’s outsized role in one of the largest prisoner exchanges between the United States and Russia.
“We saw it earlier this past summer when we secured the release of 16 people, including four Americans, unjustly held in Russia,” Biden said as he commended Golob on his work in the exchange.
The August swap included four Americans. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were freed in the deal as Slovenia released two Russian spies.
Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob called his country’s relationship with the United States “true friendship with a lot of trust,” as he met with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday. It was the first Oval Office visit by a Slovenian leader in 18 years. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI
“It was a feat of diplomacy. I want to thank your country for your support and your leadership and partnership that made it possible,” Biden added. “We made it clear to anyone who questions whether our allies matter. Well, just look at what you did. They matter a great deal.”
Golob responded by calling the prisoner exchange the work of “true friends.”
President Joe Biden commends Slovenia Prime Minister Robert Golob on Tuesday in the Oval Office of the White House for Slovenia’s role in this year’s prisoner swap with Russia, calling it “a feat of diplomacy.” Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI
“I think that’s really what our joint effort with the prisoner swap demonstrated to all of the world. And let’s continue to work in a true friendship and with a lot of trust,” Golob added.
In their meeting, the two leaders discussed a joint approach on the Western Balkans, an area of strategic interest for the United States and the Republic of Slovenia. Biden also called for increased defense investments to fund the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
President Joe Biden meets Tuesday with Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., where the two leaders discussed a joint approach on the Western Balkans, an area of strategic interest for the United States and the Republic of Slovenia. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI
“Twenty years ago, when I was a U.S. senator, I pushed very hard for your country’s admission to NATO, as you know, because I knew then what I know now: We’re stronger and a safer world when we stand together with good partners like you,” Biden said.
“We’ve seen it in support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s aggression and we see it in our work to support democracy and prosperity across the western Balkans.”
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