Slovenian President on a working visit to New York

New York, 19.9.2010  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, on the first day of his visit to New York, where he will take part in high-level events at the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. They discussed the formation of a Group of Eminent Persons that is to be set up by the Council of Europe which will deal with new occurrences of intolerance and discrimination in contemporary European society, as well as with other issues in the Council of Europe's remit.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe acquainted the Slovenian President with the activities carried out by the Council of Europe in the formation of this Group. The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, accepted in principle the initiative of the Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, to participate in the activities and deliberations of the Group of Eminent Persons.

Dr Danilo Türk and Thorbjørn Jagland also discussed the current Roma issue in France and agreed that this is a pan-European issue that needs to be addressed in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the European Union and its Member States, with a constructive approach that fosters a search for solutions. Both agreed that the levelling of accusations would not be of much help. The Slovenian President, Dr Danilo Türk, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider Western Balkan region.

Late in the afternoon (local time), Dr Danilo Türk received the founder of the People's Movement for Human Rights Learning, Shulamith Koenig, and a well-known Slovenian painter, Bogdan Grom, who has spent a great deal of time living and working in New York. In the coming days, Dr Türk will co-chair the debates of the heads of states and/or governments on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and on biotic diversity, as well as holding several bilateral meetings.