Excellencies,
Honourable Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Here in
To be honest, I'm not worried about the supply of carbon based energy … all oxygen in the atmosphere can somehow be burned by something that is in the ground, be it oil, gas, coal or something else. Oxygen was created by life and it sustains life … but now this life is becoming a threat to itself.
Having said that … the plan is not go back to stone age and caves … we are all responsible for growth in our countries and growth requires energy. Energy that is reliable, economic and clean.
I therefore welcome the efforts of President Mesić in organizing this summit which is in my opinion both timely in its design and location. The global demand for energy is on the rise and is set to increase by more than 50% by 2030. Such a dramatic increase of energy demand poses a threat not only to the global economy but to climate as well.
The Government of Slovenia outlined energy security as one of the key priorities for our upcoming EU Presidency in 2008 and is resolved to put in all the needed efforts to tackle energy issues from both the inherited agenda and our priorities. We will make every effort to further develop a comprehensive, coherent and consistent energy policy for
It is our goal to improve and finalize the mode of cooperation with neighbouring regions, especially with the countries of Southeastern Europe and the
We intend to contribute significantly to the full application of energy acquis for
We also support an integrated approach to tackling climate change and plan to allocate more funds to improve energy efficiency. We no longer have the luxury to deliberate on our own energy policy alone. We need a drastic change in the way we use, and above all, think about energy. It is also necessary to hold an honest and clear-headed debate on nuclear energy and renewable green energy. Therefore
The energetic sustainability requires much awareness raising, education, law making as well as challenging scientific research and technical development that calls for international cooperation and
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As the relatively small countries of the region have a weak voice when speaking about energy issues, we should strive to strengthen our cooperation through the available means and speak with a more unified voice in spirit of cooperation and act in a good neighbourly way when addressing the common issues regarding energy.
We therefore welcome very much president Mesic's initiative and the today's summit because it is establishing a solid foundation for further cooperation within the once troubled region, and beyond. The