Taipei: Visiting former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a has vowed to facilitate the exchange of representatives with Taiwan if his Slovenian Democratic Party returns to power. Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a, speaking on the sidelines of the Yushan Forum in Taipei, emphasized his commitment to establishing reciprocal offices in Taipei and Ljubljana, a goal he could not achieve during his tenure as prime minister in 2022 due to leading a minority government.
According to Focus Taiwan, Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a expressed confidence that such exchanges would be realized "very quickly" should his party secure an outright majority in Slovenia's 2026 parliamentary elections. He envisions elevating Slovenia-Taiwan relations to the level enjoyed by Slovenia's Central European partners. Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a's longstanding support for Taiwan is further underscored by his role in founding the Taiwan-Slovenia Friendship Association in the 1990s.
In addition to diplomatic exchanges, Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a proposed enhancing sports and cultural ties between the two nations. He praised the appointment of National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Director Liu Suan-yung as the head of Taiwan's representative office in Vienna, which also facilitates exchanges with Slovenia, calling it a "good choice." Jan‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦¡a and Liu have previously discussed various potential cultural cooperation opportunities.
The Yushan Forum, held in Taipei on Monday and Tuesday, centered on the theme "New Southbound Policy+: Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, and a New World." The annual forum invites like-minded partners to engage in discussions on Taiwan's smart, digital, and innovative solutions under its "Digital New Southbound Policy," as highlighted by organizers.