Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced Thursday evening that Israel will open its first embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, following the approval of a new Slovenian government led by pro-Israel politician Janez Janša.
The instruction was issued shortly after Slovenia’s parliament approved the formation of the new government under Janša, who was elected three weeks ago.
2 View gallery
New Slovenian government led by pro-Israel politician Janez Janša
(Photo: European People's Party)
“Janez Janša is a clear friend of Israel, and his election creates a unique opportunity to advance bilateral relations between the countries, which have been at a low point in recent years because of the hostility of the previous government in Ljubljana,” Sa’ar said. “The Foreign Ministry under my leadership will act without delay to make the most of this opportunity.”
Sa’ar instructed Foreign Ministry Director-General Eden Bar-Tal to immediately begin work on establishing the new embassy.
The move came about a day after an Israir flight to the Slovenian capital was forced to land in Zagreb, Croatia, after Slovenian authorities refused to approve its landing. Israeli officials said the decision appeared to be politically motivated, while Slovenian media reported that the refusal was related to regulatory and security issues.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that “Israel made clear to the Slovenian authorities that this is a completely unacceptable step. A new government is expected to be formed soon in Slovenia in place of the outgoing hostile government, and Israel expects a significant improvement in relations between the countries.”
Janša, known as a staunchly pro-Israel figure, leads Slovenia’s nationalist right. He previously served as prime minister from 2004 to 2008, from 2012 to 2013 and from 2020 to 2022.
Under his predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of Israel’s harshest critics in Europe, promoted measures against it, boycotted the Eurovision Song Contest because of Israel’s participation and recognized a Palestinian state, moves Janša strongly criticized.