Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister Janez Janša of Slovenia at NATO Headquarters on Thursday (9 July 2020). They discussed NATO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, fairer burden sharing across the Alliance, and NATO missions and operations.
The Secretary General said that NATO’s preparations for a possible second wave of COVID-19 are on track, with an operation plan, a stockpile of medical equipment, and more funding. Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Slovenia for showing solidarity with other NATO Allies and partners during the crisis, including by sending medical supplies to North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Secretary General thanked the Prime Minister for Slovenia’s continued contributions to NATO, including Slovenian troops serving in the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and in NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Latvia. They also discussed the importance of investing in defence. Mr. Stoltenberg said: “The security challenges we faced before the pandemic have not gone away. So our countries must continue to invest in their militaries to keep them strong. And I count on Slovenia to continue increasing defence spending and implement its plans. We all agree that this will help keep our Alliance strong.”
