Slovenian president considers Putin's visit as message of "peace and cooperation"

Slovenian President Borut Pahor described the forthcoming visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a message of "peace and cooperation", saying that NATO allies should not feel threatened about it.

Pahor made the comment on Putin's visit in an interview with POP TV late Sunday night. He also announced that he will visit Russia, according to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

"We've come up with a prudent, diplomatic move with which Slovenians are preserving good relations with Russia while at the same time not being in between the EU/NATO and Russia; we are members of both associations, we are not instigating any bad feelings."

Putin will be in Slovenia on Saturday to attend proceedings marking the centenary of a chapel below the Vrsic mountain pass erected in memory of Russian prisoners of war who died there during WWI. He will also unveil a memorial to Russian soldiers at the main cemetery in Ljubljana.

Putin confirmed his visit to Slovenia a month ago at the invitation by Pahor.

Pahor said that as president he felt it necessary to do "everything so that Slovenia remain a safe country, that it has sorted out relations with its neighbours, that it is a genuine and sincere NATO and EU member, and that it has friends around the world, including in the Russian Federation." Endit