Türkiye, Slovenia mark 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye and Slovenia – "friendly and allied" countries with deep-rooted historical ties – marked on Friday the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

"On this special day ... we would like to emphasize our determination to further our cooperation based on Friendship, Alliance and Strategic Partnership for the benefit of our peoples, allies and partners," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement.

Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Slovenia's independence in 1991, and relations gained a new dimension with the declaration of strategic partnership in 2011.

"The relations, which this spirit of friendship gives life to, are built on universal values and principles such as democracy, peaceful and humanitarian foreign policy, respect for international law and treaties, and good neighborhood," the statement said.

With the strong support of Türkiye, Slovenia joined NATO in 2004 and the Southeast European Cooperation Process in 2010, and Slovenia continues to support Türkiye's EU membership, it added.

"We believe that the EU and Euro-Atlantic integration of our region, including Türkiye's EU membership, plays an important role in delivering lasting peace and stability in all Europe," the statement read. "This common vision between the two countries also contributes to the furthering of regional cooperation and development."