At the invitation of the organisers, the Slovenian Prime Minister delivered an opening address at the OECD Forum session. She acquainted the participants with the economic situation in Slovenia and also presented her views on the topic of this year's Forum – Resilient Economies for Inclusive Societies. She highlighted that the objective of the society should not only be economic growth; we should also endeavour to provide high-quality life to citizens at all levels. "Resilient economies for inclusive societies also serve as the basis for Slovenia’s development. We need economic growth which would strengthen the trust in the public and private sectors as well as in the political and economic life," stated Prime Minister Bratušek.
On the margins of the Forum, the Prime Minister together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Karl Erjavec, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Mr Metod Dragonja, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Mitja Mavko, and the Director of the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, Mr Boštjan Vasle, attended a working meeting with the Organisation's leading representatives who presented the key findings about the economic and social situation in Slovenia and recommendations.
"I should stress that Slovenia was severely affected by the economic crisis but the recent economic indicators show that we are back on track. The required yield on Slovenia's bonds has nearly halved in the last year, we managed to prevent further decline in economic growth, and after two years of economic downturn Slovenia reversed the negative trend of economic activity in the last quarter of 2013 while new jobs were created. I was pleased to receive praise for a job well done in the past year," said the Prime Minister. The OECD Secretary-General, Mr Angel Gurría, also commended the Slovenian Government for the measures implemented, emphasising that the OECD can continue to provide expert support to Slovenia in shaping its structural reforms and policies.
Tomorrow Prime Minister Bratušek will attend the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting under the Chairmanship of Japan, with Slovenia and the United Kingdom as Vice-Chairs. As part of her visit, she will also meet with the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Shinzo Abe, and attend a reception marking the 10th anniversary of the EU enlargement hosted by the French Foreign Minister.